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The  Blue  and  the  Gray  Series 


TAKEN    BY    THE    ENEMY 
WITHIN    THE    ENEMY'S    LINES 
ON    THE    BLOCKADE 
STAND  BY  THE  UNION    (In  Press) 

I  Lee  and  Shepard  Publishers  Boston 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/takenbyenemyOOopt 


A."Ss 


"Thukk  (Jhekrs  for  Captain  Passford"    (Page  75) 


BY  OUvffToPTIc 

[IN  bytheEHI 


JtJ*»LZ>,  ^'■',/''~^      l*yl*r 

The  73lue  and  the  Gray  Series 

TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


BY 


OLIVER   OPTIC 


AUTHOR   OF        THE   ARMY   AND    NAVY   SERIES  YOUNG  AMERICA   ABROAD 

"THE   GREAT   western   series"    "the   WOODVILLE   stories" 
"  THE  STARRY-FLAG   SERIES"    "  THE    BOAT-CLUB   STORIES  " 
"THE  ONWARD   AND   UPWARD  SERIES  "  "THE  YACHT- 
CLUB   SERIES"    "THE   LAKE-SHORE   SERIES" 
"THE    RIVERDALE    series"    "the 
BOAT-BUILDER   SERIES"    ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 


BOSTON  1890 
LEE    AND     SHEPARD    Publishers 

IO  MILK  STREET  NEXT  "  THE  OLD  SOUTH  MEETING-HOUSE  " 

NEW  YORK  CHARLES  T.  DILLINGHAM 

718   AND   720   BROADWAY 


Copyright,  1888,  by  Lee  and  Shepard. 


All  rights  reserved. 


Taken  by  the  Enemy. 


TO 

MY   NEPHEW, 

HERBERT    W.    ADAMS, 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


PEEFAOE 


"  Taken  by  the  Enemy  "  is  the  first  of  a  new 
series  of  six  volumes  which  are  to  be  associated 
under  the  general  title  of  "  The  Blue  and  the 
Gray  Series,"  which  sufficiently  indicates  the  char- 
acter of  the  books.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  before  the  writer  had 
completed  "The  Army  and  Navy  Series,"  over 
twenty  years  ago,  some  of  his  friends  advised 
him  to  make  all  possible  haste  to  bring  his  war 
stories  to  a  conclusion,  declaring  that  there  could 
be  no  demand  for  such  works  when  the  war  had 
come  to  an  end.  But  the  volumes  of  the  series 
mentioned  are  as  much  in  demand  to-day  as  any 
of  his  other  stories,  though  from  their  nature  the 
field  of  their  circulation  is  more  limited.  Surpris- 
ing as  this  may  appear,  it  is  still  the  fact ;  and 
certainly  the  author  has  received  more  commend- 
atory letters  from  young  people  in  regard  to  the 

696744 


6  PREFACE 

books  of  this  series  than  concerning  those  of  any 
other. 

Among  these  letters  there  has  occasionally 
been  one,  though  rarely,  in  which  the  writer 
objected  to  this  series  for  the  reason  that  he  was 
"on  the  other  side"  of  the  great  issue  which  shook 
the  nation  to  the  centre  of  its  being  for  four  years. 
Doubtless  the  writers  of  these  letters,  and  many 
who  wrote  no  letters,  will  be  surprised  and 
grieved  at  the  announcement  of  another  series 
by  the  author  on  war  topics.  The  writer  had 
little  inclination  to  undertake  this  task;  for  he 
has  believed  for  twenty  years  that  the  war  is  over, 
and  he  has  not  been  disposed  to  keep  alive  old 
issues  which  had  better  remain  buried.  He  has 
spent  some  time  in  the  South,  and  has  always 
found  himself  among  friends  there.  He  became 
personally  acquainted  with  those  who  fought  on 
the  Confederate  side,  from  generals  to  privates, 
and  he  still  values  their  friendship.  He  certainly 
is  not  disposed  to  write  any  thing  that  would  cause 
him  to  forfeit  his  title  to  the  kind  feeling  that  was 
extended  to  him. 

It  is  not,  therefore,  with  the  desire  or  intention 
to  rekindle  the  fires  of  sectional  animosity,  now 


PREFACE  7 

happily  subdued,  that  the  writer  begins  another 
series  relating  to  the  war.  The  call  upon  him  to 
use  the  topics  of  the  war  has  been  so  urgent,  and 
its  ample  field  of  stirring  events  has  been  so 
inviting,  that  he  could  not  resist ;  but,  while  his 
own  opinions  in  regard  to  the  great  question  of 
five-and-twenty  years  ago  remain  unchanged,  he 
hopes  to  do  more  ample  justice  than  perhaps  was 
done  before  to  those  "who  fought  on  the  other 
side." 

The  present  volume  introduces  those  which  are 
to  follow  it,  and  presents  many  of  the  characters 
that  are  to  figure  in  them.  Though  written  from 
the  Union  standpoint,  the  author  hopes  that  it 
will  not  be  found  unfair  or  unjust  to  those  wIig 
looked  from  the  opposite  point  of  view. 

Dorchester,  June  12, 1888. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEK  I.  page 

Astounding  News  from  the  Shore    ....      13 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Brother  at  the  South 24 

CHAPTER  III. 
Dangerous  and  Somewhat  Irregular      ...      35 

CHAPTER  IY. 
The  First  Mission  of  the  Bellevite.  .        .      47 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Bellevite  and  those  on  Board  of  her.        .      58 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Mr.  Percy  Pierson  introduces  himself  ...      69 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Complication  at  Glenfield    .....      80 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
A  Disconsolate  Purchaser  of  Vessels  ...      91 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Christy  matures  a  Promising  Scheme      .        .        .     102 


10  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  X.  paob 

The  Attempt  to  pass  into  Mobile  Bay  .       .       .113 

CHAPTER  XL 
The  Major  in  Command  of  Fort  Gaines.       .       .    124 

CHAPTER  XII. 

HOW  THE  BELLEVITE  PASSED  FOKT  MORGAN        .  .      135 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  Decided  Difference  of  Opinion  ■  .       .       .       .    146 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Blue  and  the  Gray 157 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Brother  at  War  with  Brother         .        .        .        .168 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Christy  finds  himself  a  Prisoner    ....    179 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Major  Pierson  is  puzzled 190 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  Morning  Trip  of  the  Leopard  .        .        .        .201 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Report  of  the  Scout  from  the  Shore    .       .    212 

CHAPTER  XX. 
A  Rebellion  in  the  Pilot-House       .        .       .        .    223 


CONTENTS  11 

CHAPTER  XXI.  page 

The  Sick  Captain  of  the  Leopard  ....    234 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  Proceedings  on  the  Lower  Deck      .        .        .    245 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 
The  Expedition  from  the  Leopard  ....    256 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 
The  Engineer  goes  into  the  Forecastle       .        .    267 

CHAPTER   XXV. 
The  First  Lesson  for  a  Sailor 278 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 
The  Post  of  Duty  and  of  Danger    ....    289 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
A  Cannon-Ball  through  the  Leopard    .        .        .    300 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
The  American  Flag  at  the  Fore      .       .       .       .311 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
On  Board  of  the  Bellevite 322 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Running  the  Gantlet 333 


TAKEN    BY   THE    ENEMY 


CHAPTER   I 

ASTOUNDING  NEWS   FROM   THE   SHORE 

"  This  is  most  astounding  news  !  "  exclaimed 
Captain  Horatio  Passford. 

It  was  on  the  deck  of  the  magnificent  steam- 
yacht  Bellevite,  of  which  he  was  the  owner ; 
and  with  the  newspaper,  in  which  he  had  read 
only  a  few  of  the  many  head-lines,  still  in  his 
hand,  he  rushed  furiously  across  the  deck,  in  a 
state  of  the  most  intense  agitation. 

It  would  take  more  than  one  figure  to  indicate 
the  number  of  millions  by  which  his  vast  wealth 
was  measured,  in  the  estimation  of  those  who 
knew  most  about  his  affairs ;  and  he  was  just 
returning  from  a  winter  cruise   in  his  yacht. 

His  wife  and  son  were  on  board ;  but  his  daugh- 
ter had  spent  the  winter  at  the  South  with  her 

13 


14  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Uncle,  preferring  this  to  a  voyage  at  sea,  being 
in  rather  delicate  health,  and  the  doctors  thought 
a  quiet  residence  in  a  genial  climate  was  better 
for  her. 

The  Bellevite  had  been  among  the  islands 
of  the  Atlantic,  visiting  the  Azores,  Madeira, 
the  Canary  Islands,  and  was  now  coming  from 
Bermuda.  She  had  just  taken  a  pilot  fifty  miles 
from  Sandy  Hook,  and  was  bound  to  New  York, 
for  the  captain's  beautiful  estate,  Bonnydale,  was 
located  on  the  Hudson. 

As  usual,  the  pilot  had  brought  on  board  with 
him  the  latest  New- York  papers,  and  one  of  them 
contained  the  startling  news  which  appeared  to 
have  thrown  the  owner  of  the  Bellevite  entirely 
off  his  balance ;  and  it  was  quite  astounding  enough 
to  produce  this  effect  upon  any  American. 

"What  is  it,  sir?"  demanded  Christopher 
Passford,  his  son,  a  remarkably  bright-looking 
young  fellow  of  sixteen,  as  he  followed  his  father 
across  the  deck. 

"  What  is  it,  Horatio  ?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Passford, 
who  had  been  seated  with  a  book  on  the  deck, 
as  she  also  followed  her  husband. 

The   captain  was   usually  very  cool   and   self- 


ASTOUNDING  NEWS  FROM  THE  SHORE         15 

possessed,  and  neither  the  wife  nor  the  son  had 
ever  before  seen  him  so  shaken  by  agitation. 
He  seemed  to  be  unable  to  speak  a  word  for  the 
time,  and  took  no  notice  whatever  of  his  wife 
and  son  when  they  addressed  him. 

For  several  minutes  he  continued  to  rush  back 
and  forth  across  the  deck  of  the  steamer,  like  a 
vessel  which  had  suddenly  caught  a  heavy  flaw 
of  wind,  and  had  not  yet  come  to  her  bearings. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Horatio  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Passford,  when  he  came  near  her.  "What  in 
the  world  has  happened  to  overcome  you  in  this 
manner,  for  I  never  saw  you  so  moved  before  ?  " 

But  her  husband  did  not  reply  even  to  this 
earnest  interrogatory,  but  again  darted  across  the 
deck,  and  his  lips  moved  as  though  he  were 
muttering  something  to  himself.  He  did  not  look 
at  the  paper  in  his  hands  again ;  and  whatever  the 
startling  intelligence  it  contained,  he  seemed  to 
have  taken  it  all  in  at  a  glance. 

Christy,  as  the  remarkably  good-looking  young 
man  was  called  by  all  in  the  family  and  on  board 
of  the  Bellevite,  appeared  to  be  even  more 
astonished  than  his  mother  at  the  singular  con- 
duct of  his  father ;  but  he  saw  how  intense  was 


16  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

his  agitation,  and  he  did  not  follow  him  in  his 
impulsive  nights  across  the  deck. 

Though  his  father  had  always  treated  him  with 
great  consideration,  and  seldom  if  ever  had  occa- 
sion to  exercise  any  of  his  paternal  authority 
over  him,  the  young  man  never  took  advantage 
of  the  familiarity  existing  between  them.  His 
father  was  certainly  in  a  most  extraordinary 
mood  for  him,  and  he  could  not  venture  to  speak 
a  word  to  him. 

He  stood  near  the  companionway,  not  far  from 
his  mother,  and  he  observed  the  movements  of 
his  father  with  the  utmost  interest,  not  unmingled 
with  anxiety ;  and  Mrs.  Passford  fully  shared 
with  him  the  solicitude  of -the  moment. 

The  steamer  was  going  at  full  speed  in  the 
direction  of  Sandy  Hook.  Captain  Passford  gave 
no  heed  to  the  movement  of  the  vessel,  but  for 
several  minutes  planked  the  deck  as  though  he 
were  unable  to  realize  the  truth  or  the  force 
of  the  news  he  had  hastily  gathered  from  the 
head-lines  of  the  newspaper. 

At  last  he  halted  in  the  waist,  at  some  distance 
from  the  other  members  of  his  family,  raised 
his  paper,  and  fixed   his  gaze   upon   the   staring 


ASTOUNDING  NEWS  FROM  THE   SHORE         17 

announcement  at  the  head  of  one  of  its  columns. 
No  one  ventured  to  approach  him ;  for  he  was  the 
magnate  of  the  vessel,  and,  whatever  his  humor, 
he  was  entitled  to  the  full  benefit  of  it. 

He  only  glanced  at  the  head-lines  as  he  had 
done  before,  and  then  dropped  the  paper,  as 
though  the  announcement  he  had  read  was  all  he 
desired  to  know. 

"  Beeks,"  said  he,  as  a  quartermaster  passed 
near  him. 

The  man  addressed  promptly  halted,  raised  his 
hand  to  his  cap,  and  waited  the  pleasure  of  the 
owner  of  the  steamer. 

"  Tell  Captain  Breaker  that  I  wish  to  see  him, 
if  you  please,"  added  Captain  Passford. 

The  man  repeated  the  name  of  the  person  he 
was  to  call,  and  hastened  away  to  obey  the  order. 
The  owner  resumed  Iris  march  across  the  deck, 
though  it  was  evident  to  the  anxious  observers 
that  he  had  in  a  great  measure  recovered  his  self- 
possession,  for  his  movements  were  less  nervous, 
and  the  usual  placid  calm  was  restored  to  his  face. 

In  another  minut*,  Captain  Breaker,  who  was 
the  actual  commander  of  the  vessel,  appeared 
in    the    waist,    and   walked    up    to    his    owner. 


18  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Though  not  more  than  forty -five  years  old,  his 
hair  and  full  beard  were  heavily  tinted  with  gray  ; 
and  an  artist  who  wished  for  an  ideal  shipmaster, 
who  was  both  a  gentleman  and  a  sailor,  could  not 
have  found  a  better  representative  of  this  type  in 
the  merchant  or  naval  service,  or  on  the  deck 
of  the  finest  steam-yacht  in  the  world. 

"  You  sent  for  me,  Captain  Passford,"  said  the 
commander,  in  respectful  but  not  subservient 
tones. 

"You  will  take  the  steamer  to  some  point  off 
Fire  Island,  and  come  to  anchor  there,"  replied 
the  owner,  as,  without  any  explanation,  he  walked 
away  from  the  spot. 

"Off  Fire  Island,*1  added  Captain  Breaker, 
simply  repeating  the  name  of  the  locality  to  which 
his  order  related,  but  not  in  a  tone  that  required 
an  exclamation-point  to  express  his  surprise. 

Whatever  the  captain  of  the  Bellevite  thought 
or  felt,  it  was  an  extraordinary  order  which  he 
received.  It  was  in  the  month  of  April,  and  the 
vessel  had  been  absent  about  five  months  on  her 
winter  pleasure  cruise. 

In  a  few  hours  more  the  yacht  could  easily  be 
at  her  moorings  off  Bonnydale  on  the  Hudson  . 


ASTOUNDING   NEWS   FROM   THE   SHORE         19 

but  when  almost  in  sight  of  New  York,  the  captain 
had  been  ordered  to  anchor,  as  though  the  owner 
had  no  intention  of  returning  to  his  elegant 
home. 

If  he  was  surprised,  as  doubtless  he  was,  he  did 
not  manifest  it  in  the  slightest  degree ;  for  he  was 
a  sailor,  and  it  was  a  part  of  his  gospel  to  obey 
the  orders  of  his  owner  without  asking  any 
questions. 

No  doubt  he  thought  of  his  wife  and  children 
as  he  walked  forward  to  the  pilot-house  to  execute 
his  order,  for  he  had  been  away  from  them  for  a 
long  time.  The  three  papers  brought  on  board 
by  the  pilot  had  all  been  given  to  the  owner, 
and  he  had  no  hint  of  the  startling  news  they 
contained. 

The  course  of  the  Bellevite  was  promptly 
changed  more  to  the  northward;  and  if  the  pilot 
wished  to  be  informed  in  regard  to  this  strange 
alteration  in  the  immediate  destination  of  the 
vessel,  Captain  Breaker  was  unable  to  give  him 
any  explanation. 

Captain  Passford  was  evidently  himself  again; 
and  he  did  not  rush  across  the  deck  as  he  had 
clone  before,  but  seated  himself  in  an  armchair  he 


20  TAKEN  BY   THE   ENEMY 

had  occupied  before  the  pilot  came  on  board,  and 
proceeded  to  read  something  more  than  the  head- 
lines in  the  paper. 

He  hardly  moved  or  looked  up  for  half  an  hour, 
so  intensely  was  he  absorbed  in  the  narrative 
before  him.  Mrs.  Passford  and  Christy,  though 
even  more  excited  by  the  singular  conduct  of 
the  owner,  and  the  change  in  the  course  of  the 
steamer,  did  not  venture  to  interrupt  him. 

The  owner  took  the  other  two  papers  from  his 
pocket,  and  had  soon  possessed  himself  of  all  the 
details  of  the  astounding  news ;  and  it  was  plain 
enough  to  those  who  so  eagerly  observed  his 
expression  as  he  read,  that  he  was  impressed  as 
he  had  never  been  before  in  his  life. 

Before  the  owner  had  finished  the  reading  of 
the  papers,  the  Bellevite  had  reached  the  anchorage 
chosen  by  the  pilot,  and  the  vessel  was  soon  fast 
to  the  bottom  in  a  quiet  sea. 

"  The  tide  is  just  right  for  going  up  to  the 
city,"  said  the  pilot,  who  had  left  his  place  in 
the  pilot-house,  and  addressed  himself  to  the 
owner  in  the  waist. 

"  But  we  shall  not  go  up  to  the  city,"  replied 
Captain  Passford,  in  a  very  decided  tone.     "  But 


ASTOUNDING   NEWS   FROM   THE   SHORE         21 

that  shall  make  no  difference  in  your  pilot's  fees. 
—  Captain  Breaker." 

The  captain  of  the  steamer,  who  had  also  come 
out  of  the  pilot-house,  had  stationed  himself  with- 
in call  of  the  owner  to  receive  the  next  order, 
which  might  throw  some  light  on  the  reason  for 
anchoring  the  steamer  so  near  her  destination  on 
a  full  sea.  He  presented  himself  before  the 
magnate  of  the  yacht,  and  indicated  that  he  was 
ready  to  take  his  further  orders. 

"  You  will  see  that  the  pilot  is  paid  his  full 
fee  for  taking  the  vessel  to  a  wharf,"  continued 
Captain  Passford. 

The  captain  bowed,  and  started  towards  the 
companionway  ;  but  the  owner  called  him  back. 

"  I  see  what  looks  like  a  tug  to  the  westward 
of  us.  You  will  set  the  signal  to  bring  her 
alongside,"  the  magnate  proceeded. 

This  order  was  even  more  strange  than  that 
under  which  the  vessel  had  come  to  anchor  so 
near  home  after  her  long  cruise ;  but  the  captain 
asked  no  questions,  and  made  no  sign.  Calling 
Beeks,  he  went  aft  with  the  pilot,  and  paid  him 
his  fees. 

When  the  American  flag  was  displayed  in  the 


22  TAKEN    BY   THE   ENEMY 

fore-rigging  for  the  tug,  Captain  Passford,  with 
his  gaze  fixed  on  the  planks  of  the  deck,  walked 
slowly  to  the  place  where  his  wife  was  seated, 
and  halted  in  front  of  her  without  speaking  a 
word.  But  there  was  a  quivering  of  the  lip 
which  assured  the  lady  and  her  son  that  he  was 
still  struggling  to  suppress  his  agitation. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Horatio  ? "  asked  the 
wife,  in  the  tenderest  of  tones,  while  her  expres- 
sion assured  those  who  saw  her  face  that  the 
anxiety  of  the  husband  had  been  communicated 
to  the  wife. 

"I  need  hardly  tell  you,  Julia,  that  I  am 
disturbed  as  I  never  was  before  in  all  my  life," 
replied  he,  maintaining  his  calmness  only  with 
a  struggle. 

"  I  can  see  that  something  momentous  has 
happened  in  our  country,"  she  added,  hardly  able 
to  contain  herself,  for  she  felt  that  she  was  in  the 
presence  of  an  unexplained  calamity. 

"  Something  has  happened,  my  dear ;  something 
terrible, — something  that  I  did  not  expect,  though 
many  others  were  sure  that  it  would  come,"  he 
continued,  seating  himself  at  the  side  of  his  wife. 

"  But  you  do  not  tell  me  what  it  is,"  said  the 


ASTOUNDING  NEWS   FROM   THE   SHOEE  23 

lady,  with  a  look  which  indicated  that  her  worst 
fears  were  confirmed.  "Is  Florry  worse?  Is 
she  "  — 

"  So  far  as  I  know,  Florry  is  as  well  as  usual," 
interposed  the  husband.  "  But  a  state  of  war 
exists  at  the  present  niauient  between  the  North 
and  the  South." 


24  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   BROTHER   AT   THE   SOUTH 

Et^rN'  five  months  before,  when  the  Belle vite 
had  sailed  on  her  cruise,  the  rumble  of  coming 
events  had  been  heard  in  the  United  States ;  and 
it  had  been  an  open  question  whether  or  not  war 
would  grow  out  of  the  complications  between  the 
North  and  the  South. 

Only  a  few  letters,  and  fewer  newspapers,  had 
reached  the  owner  of  the  yacht;  and  he  and 
his  family  on  board  had  been  very  indifferently 
informed  in  regard  to  the  progress  of  political 
events  at  home.  Captain  Passford  was  one  of 
those  who  confidently  believed  that  no  very 
serious  difficulty  would  result  from  the  entangle- 
ments into  which  the  country  had  been  plunged 
by  the  secession  of  the  most  of  the  Southern 
States. 

He  would  not  admit  even  to   himself  that  war 


THE  BROTHER  AT  THE  SOUTH  25 

was  possible ;  and  before  his  departure  he  had 
scouted  the  idea  of  a  conflict  with  arms  between 
the  brothers  of  the  North  and  the  brothers  of  the 
South,  as  he  styled  them. 

Captain  Passford  had  been  the  master  of  a  ship 
in  former  times,  though  he  had  accumulated  his  vast 
fortune  after  he  abandoned  the  sea.  His  father 
was  an  Englishman,  who  had  come  to  the  United 
States  as  a  young  man,  had  married,  raised  his 
two  sons,  and  died  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

These  two  sons,  Horatio  and  Homer,  were 
respectively  forty-five  and  forty  years  of  age. 
Both  of  them  were  married,  and  each  of  them 
had  only  a  son  and  a  daughter.  While  Horatio 
had  been  remarkably  successful  in  his  pursuit  of 
wealth  in  the  metropolis,  he  had  kept  himself 
clean  and  honest,  like  so  many  of  the  wealthy 
men  of  the  great  city.  When  he  retired  from 
active  business,  he  settled  at  Bonnydale  on  the 
Hudson. 

His  brother  had  been  less  successful  as  a 
business-man,  and  soon  after  his  marriage  to 
a  Northern  lady  he  had  purchased  a  plantation 
in  Alabama,  where  both  of  his  children  had  been 
born,  and  where  he  was  a  man  of  high  standing, 


26  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

with  wealth  enough  to  maintain  his  position  in 
luxury,  though  his  fortune  was  insignificant 
compared  with  that  of  his  brother. 

Between  the  two  brothers  and  their  families  the 
most  kindly  relations  had  always  existed ;  and 
Bach  made  occasional  visits  to  the  other,  though 
the  distance  which  separated  them  was  too  great 
to  permit  of  very  frequent  exchanges  personally 
of  brotherly  love  and  kindness. 

Possibly  the  fraternal  feeling  which  subsisted 
between  the  two  brothers  had  some  influence 
Upon  the  opinions  of  Horatio,  for  to  him  hostili- 
ties meant  making  war  upon  his  only  brother, 
whom  he  cherished  as  warmly  as  if  they  had  not 
been  separated  by  a  distance  of  over  a  thousand 
miles. 

He  measured  the  feelings  of  others  by  his  own ; 
and  if  all  had  felt  as  he  felt,  war  would  have 
been  an  impossibility,  however  critical  and  momen- 
tous the  relations  between  the  two  sections. 

Though  his  father  had  been  born  and  bred  in 
England,  Horatio  was  more  intensely  American 
than  thousands  who  came  out  of  Plymouth  Rock 
stock ;  and  he  believed  in  the  union  of  the 
States,  unable   to   believe    that   any  true    citizen 


THE  BROTHER  AT  THE  SOUTH      27 

could  tolerate  the  idea  of  a  separation  of  any 
kind. 

The  first  paper  which  Captain  Passford  read  on 
the  deck  of  the  Bellevite  contained  the  details 
of  the  bombardment  and  capture  of  Fort  Sumter ; 
and  the  others,  a  record  of  the  events  which  had 
transpired  in  the  few  succeeding  days  after  the 
news  of  actual  war  reached  the  North. 

This  terrible  intelligence  was  unexpected  to 
the  owner  of  the  yacht,  believing,  as  he  had,  in  the 
impossibility  of  war  ;  and  it  seemed  to  him  just  as 
though  he  and  his  cherished  brother  were  already 
arrayed  against  each  other  on  the  battle-field. 

The  commotion  between  the  two  sections  had 
begun  before  his  departure  from  home  on  the 
yacht  cruise ,  but  his  brother,  perhaps  because 
he  was  fully  instructed  in  regard  to  the  Union 
sentiment  of  Horatio,  was  strangely  reticent,  and 
expressed  no  opinions  of  his  own. 

But  Captain  Passford,  measuring  his  brother 
according  to  his  own  standard,  was  fully  per- 
suaded that  Homer  was  as  sound  on  the  great 
question  as  he  was  himself,  though  the  excitement 
and  violence  around  him  might  have  caused  him 
to  maintain  a  neutral  position. 


28  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Certainly  if  the  Northern  brother  had  antici- 
pated that  a  terrible  war  was  impending,  he 
would  not  have  permitted  his  daughter  Florence, 
a  beautiful  young  lady  of  seventeen,  to  reside 
during  the  winter  in  a  hot-bed  of  secession  and 
disunion.  The  papers  informed  him  what  had 
been  done  at  the  North  and  at  the  South  to 
initiate  the  war ;  and  the  thought  that  Florry  was 
now  in  the  midst  of  the  enemies  of  her  country 
was  agonizing  to  him. 

Though  he  felt  that  his  country  demanded  his 
best  energies,  and  though  lie  was  ready  and  will- 
ing to  give  himself  and  his  son  to  her  in  her  hour 
of  need,  he  felt  that  his  first  duty  was  to  his  own 
family,  within  reasonable  limits ;  and  his  earliest 
thoughts  were  directed  to  the  safety  of  his  daugh- 
ter, and  then  to  the  welfare  of  his  brother  and 
his  family. 

"  War !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Passford,  when  her 
husband  had  announced  so  briefly  the  situation 
which  had  caused  such  intense  agitation  in  his 
soul.     "  What  do  you  mean  by  war,  Horatio  ? " 

"I  mean  all  that  terrible  word  can  convey  of 
destruction  and  death,  and,  worse  yet,  of  hate 
and  revenge  between  brothers  of  the  same  house- 


THE  BROTHER  AT  THE  SOUTH       29 

hold  !  "  replied  the  husband  impressively.  "  Both 
the  North  and  the  South  are  sounding  the  notes 
of  preparation.  Men  are  gathering  by  thousands 
on  both  sides,  soon  to  meet  on  fields  which  must 
be  drenched  in  the  gore  of  brothers." 

"  But  don't  you  think  the  trouble  will  be  settled 
in  some  way,  Horatio?"  asked  the  anxious  wife 
and  mother;  and  her  thoughts,  like  those  of  her 
husband,  reverted  to  the  loving  daughter  then  in 
the  enemy's  camp. 

"  I  do  not  think  so  ;  that  is  impossible  now.  I 
did  not  believe  that  war  was  possible :  now 
I  do  not  believe  it  will  be  over  till  one  side  or 
the  other  shall  be  exhausted,"  replied  Captain 
Passford,  wiping  from  his  brow  the  perspiration 
which  the  intensity  of  his  emotion  produced. 
"A  civil  war  is  the  most  bitter  and  terrible  of  all 
wars." 

"  I  cannot  understand  it,"  added  the  lady. 

"Is  it  really  war,  sir?"  asked  Christy,  who 
had  been  an  interested  listener  to  all  that  had 
been  said. 

"  It  is  really  war,  my  son,"  replied  the  father 
earnestly.  "It  will  be  a  war  which  cannot  be 
carried  to  a  conclusion  by  hirelings  ;  but  father, 


30  TAKEN  BY   THE   ENEMY 

son,  and  brother  must  take  part  in  it,  against 
father,  son,  and  brother." 

"  It  is  terrible  to  think  of,"  added  Mrs.  Passford 
with  something  like  a  shudder,  though  she  was  a 
strong-minded  woman  in  the  highest  sense  of  the 
words. 

Captain  Passford  then  proceeded  to  inform  his 
wife  and  son  in  regard  to  all  the  events  which  had 
transpired  since  he  had  received  his  latest  papers 
at  Bermuda.  They  listened  with  the  most  intense 
interest,  and  the  trio  were  as  solemn  as  though 
they  had  met  to  consider  the  dangerous  illness  of 
the  absent  member  of  the  family. 

The  owner  did  not  look  upon  the  impending 
war  as  a  sort  of  frolic,  as  did  many  of  the  people 
at  the  North  and  the  South,  and  he  could  not 
regard  it  as  a  trivial  conflict  which  would  be 
ended  in  a  few  weeks  or  a  few  months.  To 
him  it  was  the  most  terrible  reality  which  his 
imagination  could  picture ;  and  more  clearly 
than  many  eminent  statesmen,  he  foresaw  that  it 
would  be  a  long  and  fierce  encounter. 

"From  what  you  say,  Horatio,  I  judge  that 
the  South  is  already  arming  for  the  conflict," 
said    Mrs.    Passford,    after    she    had    heard    her 


THE  BROTHER  AT   THE   SOUTH  31 

husband's  account  of  what  had  occurred  on 
shore. 

"  The  South  has  been  preparing  for  war  for 
months,  and  the  North  began  to  make  serious 
preparation  for  coming  events  as  soon  as  Fort 
Sumter  fell.  Doubtless  the  South  is  better 
prepared  for  the  event  to-day  than  the  North, 
though  the  greater  population  and  vast  resources 
of  the  latter  will  soon  make  up  for  lost  time," 
replied  the  captain. 

"And  Florry  is  right  in  the  midst  of  the 
gathering  armies  of  the  South,"  added  the  fond 
mother,  wiping  a  tear  from  her  eyes. 

"  She  is  ;  and,  unless  something  is  done  at  once 
to  restore  her  to  her  home,  she  may  have  to 
remain  in  the  enemy's  country  for  months,  if  not 
for  years,"  answered  the  father,  with  a  slight 
trembling  of  the  lips. 

"But  what  can  be  done?"  asked  the  mother 
anxiously. 

"  The  answer  to  that  question  has  agitated  me 
more  than  any  thing  else  which  has  come  to  my 
mind  for  years,  for  I  cannot  endure  the  thought 
of  leaving  her  even  a  single  month  at  any  point 
which   is   as   likely   as   any   other   to    become   a 


32  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

battle-field  in  a  few  days  or  a  few  weeks," 
continued  Captain  Passford,  with  some  return 
of  the  agitation  which  had  before  shaken  him 
so  terribly. 

"  Of  course  your  brother  Homer  will  take  care 
of  her,"  said  the  terrified  mother,  as  she  gazed 
earnestly  into  the  expressive  face  of  the  stout- 
hearted man  before  her. 

"Certainly  he  will  do  all  for  Florry  that  he 
would  do  for  his  own  children,  but  he  may  not 
long  be  able  to  save  his  own  family  from  the 
horrors  of  war." 

"  Do  you  think  she  will  be  in  any  actual  danger, 
Horatio  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  doubt  she  will  be  as  safe  at 
Glenfield,  if  the  conflict  were  raging  there,  as 
she  would  be  at  Bonnydale  under  the  same 
circumstances.  From  the  nature  of  the  case,  the 
burden  of  the  fighting,  the  havoc  and  desolation, 
will  be  within  the  Southern  States,  and  few,  if 
any,  of  the  battle-fields  will  be  on  Northern  soil, 
or  at  least  as  far  north  as  our  home." 

"  From  what  I  have  seen  of  the  people  near  the 
residence  of  your  brother,  they  are  neither  brutes 
nor  savages,"  added  the  lady. 


THE   BROTHER   AT   THE   SOUTH  33 

"  No  more  than  the  people  of  the  North  ;  but 
war  rouses  the  brute  nature  of  most  men,  and 
there  will  be  brutes  and  savages  on  both  sides, 
from  the  very  nature  of  the  case." 

"  In  his  recent  letters,  I  mean  those  that  came 
before  we  sailed  from  home,  Homer  did  not  seem 
to  take  part  with  either  side  in  the  political 
conflict ;  and  in  those  which  came  to  us  at  the 
Azores  and  Bermuda,  he  did  not  say  a  single 
word  to  indicate  whether  he  is  a  secessionist,  or 
in  favor  of  the  Union.  Do  you  know  how  he 
stands,  Horatio  ?  "  • 

"  My  means  of  knowing  are  the  same  as  yours, 
and  I  can  be  no  wiser  than  you  are  on  this  point, 
though  I  have  my  opinion,"  replied  Captain 
Passford. 

"  What  is  your  opinion  ?  " 

"  That  he  is  as  truly  a  Union  man  as  I  am." 

"I  am  glad  that  he  is." 

"  I  do  not  say  that  he  is  a  Union  man ;'  but 
judging  from  his  silence,  and  what  I  know  of  him, 
I  think  he  is.  And  it  is  as  much  a  part  of  my 
desire  and  intention  to  bring  him  and  his  family 
out  of  the  enemy's  country  as  it  is  to  recover 
Florry." 


34  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  Then  we  shall  have  them  all  at  Bonnydale 
this  summer ? "  suggested  Mrs.  Passford.  "Noth- 
ing could  suit  me  better." 

"  Though  I  am  fully  persuaded  in  my  own  mind 
that  Homer  will  be  true  to  his  country  in  this 
emergency,  I  may  be  mistaken.  He  has  lived  for 
many  years  at  the  South,  and  has  been  identified 
with  the  institutions  of  that  locality,  as  I  have 
been  with  those  of  the  North.  Though  we  both 
love  the  land  of  our  fathers  on  the  other  side  of 
the  ocean,  we  have  both  been  strongly  American. 
As  he  always  believed  in  the  whole  country  as  a 
unit,  I  shall  expect  him  to  be  more  than  willing 
to  stand  by  his  country  as  it  was,  and  as  it 
should  be." 

"I  hope  you  will  find  him  so,  but  I  am 
grievously  sorry  that  Florry  is  not  with  us." 

"Tug-boat  alongside,  Captain  Passford,"  said 
the  commander. 

The  owner  of  the  Bellevite  wished  the  tug  to 
wait  his  orders. 


SOMEWHAT   IRREGULAR  35 


CHAPTER   III 

DANGEROUS  AND  SOMEWHAT  IRREGULAR 

In  various  parts  of  the  deck  of  the  Bellevite, 
the  officers,  seamen,  engineers,  and  coal-passers 
of  the  steamer  were  gathered  in  knots,  evidently 
discussing  the  situation ;  for  the  news  brought  on 
board  by  the  pilot  had  been  spread  through  the 
ship. 

Captain  Passford  hardly  noticed  the  announce- 
ment made  to  him  by  the  commander,  that  the  tug 
was  alongside,  for  he  was  not  yet  ready  to  make 
use  of  it.  Even  the  wife  and  the  son  of  the  owner 
wondered  what  the  mission  of  the  little  vessel 
was  to  be  ;  but  the  husband  and  father  had  not 
yet  disclosed  his  purpose  in  coming  to  anchor 
almost  in  sight  of  his  own  mansion. 

"Why  have  you  come  to  anchor  here,  Horatio?" 
asked  Mrs.  Passford,  taking  advantage  of  the 
momentary  pause   in   the   interesting,    and   even 


36  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

exciting,  conversation,  to  put  this  leading  ques- 
tion. 

"  I  was  about  to  tell  you.  I  have  already 
adopted  my  plan  to  recover  Florry,  and  bring 
my  brother  and  his  family  out  of  the  enemy's 
country,"  replied  the  owner,  looking  with  some 
solicitude  into  the  face  of  his  wife,  as  though  he 
anticipated  some  objection  to  his  plan. 

"  You  have  adopted  it  so  quick  ?  "  inquired  the 
lady.  "  You  have  not  had  much  time  to  think 
of  it." 

"  I  have  had  all  the  time  I  need  to  enable  me 
to  reach  the  decision  to  rescue  my  child  from 
peril,  and  save  my  brother  and  his  family 
from  privation  and  trouble  in  the  enemy's  country. 
But  I  have  only  decided  what  to  do,  and  I  have 
yet  to  mature  the  details  of  the  scheme." 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  going  into  any  danger," 
added  the  wife  anxiously. 

"  Danger  !  "  exclaimed  Captain  Passford. 
straightening  up  his  manly  form.  "War  with 
all  its  perils  and  hardships  is  before  us.  Am  I  a 
villain,  a  poltroon,  who  will  desert  his  country 
in  the  hour  of  her  greatest  need  ?  I  do  not  so 
understand  myself." 


SOMEWHAT   IRREGULAR  37, 

"  Of  course  I  meant  any  needless  exposure," 
added  Mrs.  Passford,  impressed  by  the  patriotic 
bearing  of  her  husband. 

"  You  may  be  assured,  Julia,  that  I  will  incur 
no  needless  peril,  and  I  think  I  am  even  more 
careful  than  the  average  of  men.  But,  when  I 
have  a  duty  to  perform,  I  feel  that  I  ought  to 
do  it  without  regard  to  the  danger  which  may 
surround  it." 

"  I  know  you  well  enough  to  understand  that, 
Horatio,"  said  the  lady. 

"I  believe  there  will  be  danger  in  my  under- 
taking, though  to  what  extent  I  am  unable  to 
say." 

"But  you  do  not  tell  me  how  you  intend  to 
recover  Florry." 

"  I  intend  to  go  for  her  and  my  brother's  family 
in  the  Bellevite." 

"  In  the  Bellevite  ! "  exclaimed  the  lady. 

"  Of  course  ;  there  is  no  other  possible  way  to 
reach  Glenfield,"  which  was  the  name  that 
Homer  Passford  had  given  to  his  plantation. 

"  But  Fort  Morgan,  at  the  entrance  of  Mobile 
Bay,  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Confederates,  and 
has  been  for  three  or  four  months,"  said  Christy, 


38  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

who  had  kept  himself  as  thoroughly  posted 
in  regard  to  events  at  home  as  the  sources  of 
information  would  permit. 

"  I  am  well  aware  of  it ;  and  I  have  no  doubt, 
that,  by  this  time,  the  fort  is  strongly  garrisoned, 
to  say  nothing  of  other  forts  which  have  prob- 
ably been  built  in  the  vicinity,"  replied  Captain 
Passford. 

"It  says  in  this  paper  that  the  ports  of  the 
South  have  been  blockaded,"  said  Christy,  glancing 
at  the  journal  in  his  hand. 

"The  President  has  issued  a  proclamation  to 
this  effect,  but  there  has  hardly  been  time  to 
enforce  it  to  any  great  extent  yet.  But  of  these 
matters  I  have  nothing  to  say  yet.  The  important 
point  now  is  that  I  shall  go  in  the  Bellevite 
to  Mobile  Bay,  and  by  force  or  strategy  I  shall 
bring  off  my  daughter  and  the  family  of  my 
brother." 

"  Then  I  suppose  Christy  and  I  are  to  be  sent 
on  shore  in  the  tug  alongside,"  suggested  Mrs. 
Passford. 

"  That  is  precisely  what  I  wanted  the  tug  for," 
added  the  husband. 

"  I  should  be  willing  to  go  with  you,  and  share 


SOMEWHAT  IRREGULAR  39 

whatever  dangers  you  may  incur,"  said  the  lady, 
who  had  by  this  time  come  to  a  full  realization  of 
what  war  meant. 

"  I  should  be  a  heathen  to  allow  you  to  do  so. 
A  woman  would  be  more  of  a  burden  than  a  help 
to  us.  You  had  better  return  to  Bonnyclale, 
Julia,  where  I  am  sure  you  can  render  more 
service  to  your  country  than  you  could  on  board 
of  the  steamer.  All  that  I  am,  all  that  I  have, 
shall  be  at  the  service  of  the  Union ;  and  I  wish 
you  to  act  for  me  according  to  your  own  good 
judgment." 

"I  shall  do  whatever  you  wish  me  to  do, 
Horatio,"  added  the  lady. 

"  My  mission  will  be  a  dangerous  one  at  best, 
and  the  deck  of  the  steamer  will  be  no  place  for 
you,  Julia." 

"  Very  well ;  Christy  and  I  will  take  the  tug  as 
soon  as  you  are  ready  to  have  us  leave  you." 

"  Am  I  to  go  on  shore,  father  ? "  demanded 
Christy,  with  a  look  of  chagrin  on  his  handsome 
face,  browned  by  exposure  to  the  sun  on  the 
ocean.  "  I  want  to  go  with  you ;  and  I  am  sure 
I  can  do  my  share  of  the  duty,  whatever  it  may 
be." 


40  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

"You  are  rather  young  to  engage  in  such  an 
enterprise  as  that  before  me,  Christy,"  added  his 
father,  as  he  gazed  with  pride  at  the  face  and  form 
of  his  son,  who  had  thrown  back  his  head  as 
though  he  felt  the  inspiration  of  all  the  manliness 
in  his  being. 

"  If  there  is  to  be  a  war  for  the  Union,  I  am  a 
Union  man,  or  boy,  as  you  like  ;  and  it  would  be 
as  mean  and  cowardly  for  me  to  turn  my  back  to 
the  enemy  as  it  would  be  for  you  to  do  so,  sir," 
replied  Christy,  his  chest  heaving  with  patriotic 
emotion. 

"  I  am  willing  you  should  go  with  me,"  added 
Captain  Passford,  turning  from  the  young  man 
to  his  mother. 

There  was  a  tear  in  the  eyes  of  the  lady  as  she 
looked  upon  her  son.  It  was  hard  enough  to 
have  her  husband  leave  her  on  such  a  mission  :  it 
was  doubly  so  to  have  Christy  go  with  him. 

"  Christy  might  be  of  great  service  to  me,"  said 
his  father.  "  I  look  upon  this  war  as  a  very 
solemn  event;  and  when  a  man's  country  calls 
upon  him  to  render  his  time,  his  comfort,  even  his 
life,  he  has  no  moral  right  to  put  himself,  his 
father,  his  brother,  or  his  son  in  a  safe  place,  and 


SOMEWHAT  IRREGULAR  41 

leave  mere  hirelings,  the  thoughtless,  reckless 
adventurers,  to  fight  his  battle  for  him." 

"  I  am  ready  to  go,  sir,"  added  Christy. 

"He  may  go  with  you,  if  you  think  it  best," 
said  the  mother  with  a  quivering  lip.  "  I  shall 
miss  him,  but  I  am  sure  you  would  miss  him 
more." 

"  My  first  mission  is  hardly  in  the  service  of  my 
country ;  at  least,  it  is  not  directly  so,  though  I 
hope  to  be  of  some  use  to  her  during  my  absence. 
As  I  said  before,  I  think  my  first  duty  —  a  duty 
committed  to  me  by  the  Almighty,  which  takes 
precedence  over  all  other  duties  —  is,  within 
reasonable  limits,  to  my  own  family.  I  will  not 
spare  myself  or  my  son,  but  I  must  save  Florry 
and  my  brother's  family." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  Horatio." 

"  On  my  return  I  shall  present  the  Bellevite  to 
the  Government,  which  is  in  sore  need  of  suitable 
vessels  at  the  present  time,  and  offer  my  services 
in  any  capacity  in  which  I  can  be  useful,"  con- 
tinued Captain  Passford.  "  Captain  Breaker,"  he 
called  to  the  commander. 

"  Here,  sir." 

"  Pipe   the    entire  ship's  company  on  the  fore- 


42  TAKEN   BY    THE  ENEMY 

castle,  and  see  that  no  one  from  the  tug  is  near 
enough  to  hear  what  is  said  there." 

Captain  Breaker  had  formerly  been  a  lieutenant 
in  the  navy,  and  the  forms  and  discipline  of  a 
man-of-war  prevailed  on  board  of  the  steam-yacht. 
In  a  minute  more  the  pipe  of  the  boatswain  rang 
through  the  vessel,  and  all  hands  were  mustered 
on  the  forecastle.  The  tug  was  made  fast  on  the 
quarter  of  the  steamer,  and  no  one  from  her  had 
come  on  board. 

Captain  Passford  and  Christy  walked  forward, 
leaving  the  lady  with  her  own  thoughts.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  a  distinguished  officer  in  the  navy, 
and  she  had  been  fully  schooled  in  the  lesson  of 
patriotism  for  such  an  emergency  as  the  present. 
She  was  sad,  and  many  a  tear  dropped  from  her 
still  handsome  face  ;  but  she  was  brave  enough  to 
feel  proud  that  she  had  a  husband  and  a  son 
whom  she  was  willing  to  give  to  her  country. 

The  ship's  company  gathered  on  the  forecastle  ; 
and  every  one  of  them  seemed  to  be  deeply 
impressed  with  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  for 
not  a  light  word  was  spoken,  not  a  laugh  played 
on  any  face.  They  had  just  learned  that  the 
country  was  in  a  state  of  war;   and  the  present 


SOMEWHAT  IRREGULAR  43 

occasion  indicated  that  the  owner  had  some 
serious  question  in  his  mind,  which  was  now  to 
be  presented  to  them. 

The  Bellevite  was  heavily  manned  for  a  yacht; 
but  every  person  had  been  selected  for  his 
position,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  with 
the  utmost  care  by  Captain  Breaker,  assisted  by 
the  owner.  Every  one  of  them  had  been  attached 
to  the  steamer  for  at  least  a  year,  and  some  of 
them  for  a  longer  period.  All  of  them  were 
personally  known  to  the  owner  and  the  members 
of  the  family,  who  had  taken  the  greatest  pleasure 
in  improving  and  assisting  them  and  their  families, 
if  they  had  any. 

They  were  all  devoted  to  the  owner  and  the 
members  of  his  family,  who  had  taken  such  a 
strong  personal  interest  in  them  and  theirs. 
Many  instances  of  the  kindness  of  the  lady  in 
times  of  sickness  and  death,  as  well  as  in  the 
brighter  days  of  prosperity  and  happiness,  could 
be  related ;  and  in  return  for  all  this  generous 
and  considerate  treatment,  there  was  not  a  man 
on  board  who  would  not  have  laid  down  his  life 
for  the  family. 

It  was  certainly  a  model  ship's   company;  and 


44  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

if  there  had  ever  been  another  owner  and  captain 
like  those  of  the  Bellevite,  there  might  also  have 
been  such  another  collection  of  officers  and 
seamen.  But  every  one  of  them  had  been 
selected  for  his  moral  character,  not  less  than 
for  his  nautical  skill  and  knowledge.  In  fact, 
the  personal  history  of  any  one  of  them  would 
have  been  interesting  to  the  general  reader. 

These  men  composed  the  audience  of  Captain 
Passford  when  he  took  his  place  at  the  bowsprit 
bitts;  and,  if  the  occasion  had  been  less  solemn, 
they  would  have  cheered  him,  as  they  were  in  the 
habit  of  doing  on  every  suitable  opportunity,  and 
even  when  it  was  not  suitable. 

The  owner  prefaced  his  remarks  with  a  state- 
ment of  the  events  which  had  occurred  in  the 
country  since  the  last  dates  they  had  received, 
and  then  proceeded  to  describe  his  mission  as 
indicated  to  his  wife  and  son.  He  fully  stated 
the  perils  of  the  enterprise,  with  the  fact  that  his 
operations  would  be  somewhat  irregular ;  though 
he  intended  to  make  an  immediate  tender  of  the 
vessel  to  the  Government,  with  his  own  services 
in  any  capacity  in  which  he  might  be  needed. 

In  spite  of  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  the 


SOMEWHAT  IRREGULAR  45 

men  broke  out  into  cheers,  and  not  a  few  of 
the  sailors  shouted  out  their  readiness  to  go  with 
him  wherever  he  might  go,  without  regard  to 
danger  or  hardship.  One  old  sheet-anchor  man 
declared  that  he  was  ready  to  die  for  Miss  Florry  ; 
and  he  was  so  lustily  cheered  that  it  was  evident 
this  was  the  sentiment  of  all. 

"I  have  called  the  tug  at  the  quarter  along- 
side to  convey  Mrs.  Passford  to  the  shore, 
though  Christy  will  go  with  me,"  added  the 
owner. 

At  this  point  he  was  interrupted  by  a  volley  of 
cheers,  for  Christy  was  a  universal  favorite  on 
board,  as  Florry  had  always  been ;  and  the  ship's 
company  regarded  her  as  a  sort  of  mundane 
divinity,  upon  whom  they  could  look  only  with 
the  most  profound  reverence. 

"  In  view  of  the  danger  and,  the  irregularity  of 
the  enterprise,  I  shall  not  persuade  or  urge  any 
person  on  board  to  accompany  me  ;  and  the  tug 
will  take  on  shore  all  who  prefer  to  leave  the 
vessel,  with  my  best  wishes  for  their  future. 
Those  who  prefer  to  go  on  shore  will  go 
aft  to  the  mainmast,"  continued  Captain  Pass- 
ford. 


46  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Officers  and  seamen  looked  from  one  to  the 
other ;  but  not  one  of  them  took  a  step  from  his 
place  on  the  forecastle,  to  which  all  seemed  to  be 
nailed. 


THE  FIRST  MISSION  OF  THE  BELLEVITE        47 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE  FIRST   MISSION   OF   THE   BELLEVITE 

Captain  Passford  looked  over  his  audience 
with  no  little  interest,  and  perhaps  with  consider- 
able anxiety  ;  for  he  felt  that  the  success  of  his 
enterprise  must  depend,  in  a  great  measure,  upon 
the  fidelity  and  skill  of  the  individual  members 
of  the  ship's  company. 

"  My  remarks  are  addressed  to  every  person  in 
the  ship's  company,  from  Captain  Breaker  to  the 
stewards  and  coal-passers ;  and  any  one  has  a 
perfect  right  to  decline  to  go  with  me,  without 
prejudice  to  his  present  or  future  interests," 
continued  the  owner. 

More  earnestly  than  before  the  officers  and  men 
gazed  at  each  other ;  and  it  looked  as  though  not 
one  of  them  dared  to  move  a  single  inch,  lest  a 
step  should  be  interpreted  as  an  impeachment  of 
his  fidelity  to  one  who  had  been  a  Christian  and  a 
trusty  friend  in  all  his  relations  with  him. 


48  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"I  know  that  some  of  you  have  families, 
mothers,  brothers,  and  sisters  on  shore  ;  and  I 
assure  you  that  I  shall  not  regard  it  as  a  disgrace 
or  a  stigma  upon  any  man  who  does  his  duty  as  he 
understands  it,  without  regard  to  me  or  mine," 
the  owner  proceeded. 

Still  not  a  man  moved,  and  all  seemed  to  be 
more  averse  than  before  to  change  their  positions  a 
particle ;  and  possibly  any  one  who  was  tempted 
to  do  so  expected  to  be  hooted  by  his  shipmates, 
if  he  took  the  treacherous  step. 

"  I  sincerely  hope  that  every  man  of  you  will  be 
guided  by  his  own  sense  of  duty,  without  regard 
to  what  others  may  think  of  his  action.  I  will 
not  allow  any  man  to  suffer  from  any  reproach  or 
indignity  on  account  of  what  he  does  in  this 
matter,  if  by  any  means  I  can  prevent  it,"  con- 
tinued Captain  Passford,  looking  over  his  audience 
again,  to  discover,  if  he  could,  any  evidence  ol 
faltering  on  the  part  of  a  single  one. 

Still  officers  and  men  were  as  immovable  as  a 
group  of  statuary ;  and  not  a  face  betrayed  an 
expression  indicating  a  desire  to  leave  the  vessel, 
or  to  falter  in  what  all  regarded  as  the  allegiance 
they  owed  to  the  owner  and  his  family. 


THE   FIRST  MISSION   OF  THE   BELLEVITE        49 

"We  will  all  go  with  you  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  or  the  end  of  the  war ! "  shouted  the  old 
sheet-anchor  man,  who  was  the  spokesman  of  the 
crew  when  they  had  any  thing  to  say.  "  If  any 
man  offers  to  leave  "  — 

"  He  shall  go  with  my  best  wishes,"  interposed 
Captain  Passford.  "None  of  that,  Boxie;  you 
have  heard  what  I  said,  and  I  mean  every  word  of 
it.     There  shall  be  no  persuasion  or  intimidation." 

"  Beg  pardon,  Captain  Passford  ;  but  there  isn't 
a  man  here  that  would  go  to  the  mainmast  if  he 
knew  that  the  forecastle  would  drop  out  from 
under  him,  and  let  him  down  into  Davy  Jones's 
locker  the  next  minute  if  he  staid  here,"  responded 
Boxie,  with  a  complaisant  grin  on  his  face,  as  if 
he  was  entirely  conscious  that  he  knew  what  he 
was  talking  about. 

"  Every  man  must  act  on  his  own  free  will," 
added  the  owner. 

"  That's  just  what  we  are  all  doing,  your  honor ; 
and  every  one  of  us  would  rather  go  than  have 
his  wages  doubled.  If  any  dumper  here  has  a 
free  will  to  go  to  the  mainmast,  he'd  better  put 
his  head  in  soak,  and  "  — 

"  Avast  heaving,  Boxie  !  "  interposed  the  owner, 


50  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

smiling  in  spite  of  himself  at  the  earnestness  of 
the  old  sailor. 

"  I  hain't  got  a  word  more  to  say,  your  honor ; 
only"- 

"  Only  nothing,  Boxie !  I  see  that  not  one  of 
you  is  inclined  to  leave  the  vessel,  and  I  appreciate 
in  the  highest  degree  this  devotion  on  your  part 
to  me  and  my  family.  I  have  some  writing  to  do 
now ;  and,  while  I  am  engaged  upon  it,  Mr.  Watts 
shall  take  the  name  and  residence  of  every  man 
on  board.  I  shall  give  this  list  to  my  wife,  and 
charge  her  to  see  that  those  dependent  upon  you 
need  nothing  in  your  absence.  She  will  visit  the 
friends  of  every  one  of  you,  if  she  has  to  go  live 
hundred  miles  to  do  so.  I  have  nothing  more  to 
say  at  present." 

The  men  cheered  lustily  for  the  owner,  and 
then  separated,  as  the  captain  went  aft  to  draw  up 
his  papers  to  send  on  shore  by  Mrs.  Passford.  He 
was  followed  by  Captain  Breaker,  while  little 
groups  formed  in  various  parts  of  the  deck  to 
discuss  the  situation. 

"I  intended  to  have  some  talk  with  you,  Breaker, 
before  I  said  any  thing  to  the  ship's  company ;  but, 
you  know,  it  is  very  seldom  that  I  ever  say  any 


THE  FIRST  MISSION  OF  THE  BELLEVITE        51 

thing  directly  to  them,"  said  Captain  Passford,  as 
the  commander  came  up  with  him. 

"  This  was  an  extraordinary  occasion ;  and  I  am 
very  glad  that  you  did  the  business  directly, 
instead  of  committing  it  to  me,"  replied  Captain 
Breaker ;  "  and  I  have  not  the  slightest  objection 
to  make.  But  I  have  a  word  to  say  in  regard  to 
myself  personally.  As  you  are  aware,  I  was 
formerly  an  officer  of  the  navy,  with  the  rank  of 
lieutenant.  I  wish  to  apply  to  the  department  to 
be  restored  to  my  former  rank,  or  to  any  rank 
which  will  enable  me  to  serve  my  country  the 
most  acceptably.  I  hope  my  purpose  will  not 
interfere  with  your  enterprise." 

"  Not  at  all,  I  think,  except  in  the  matter  of 
some  delay.  I  shall  tender  the  Bellevite  as  a  free 
gift  to  the  Government  in  a  letter  I  shall  send  on 
shore  by  my  wife,"  replied  Captain  Passford. 
"  But  I  shall  offer  to  do  this  only  on  my  return 
from  a  trip  I  feel  obliged  to  make  in  her.  I  shall 
also  offer  my  own  services  in  any  capacity  in 
which  I  can  be  useful ;  though,  as  I  am  not  a  naval 
officer  like  yourself,  I  cannot  expect  a  prominent 
position." 

"  Your  ability  fits  you  for  almost  any  position ; 


52  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

and,  after  a  little  study  of  merely  routine  matters, 
you  will  be  competent  for  almost  any  command," 
added  Captain  Breaker. 

"  I  do  not  expect  that,  and  I  am  willing  to  do 
my  duty  in  a  humble  position,"  said  the  owner. 
"  All  that  I  am  and  all  that  I  have  shall  be  for 
my  country's  use." 

"  I  knew  very  well  where  we  should  find  you  if 
the  troubles  ended  in  a  war." 

"  My  present  enterprise  will  be  rather  irregular, 
as  I  have  already  said ;  but  the  delay  it  would 
cause  alone  prevents  me  from  giving  the  vessel  to 
the  Government  at  once." 

"As  a  man-of-war,  the  Bellevite  could  not  be 
used  for  the  purpose  you  have  in  mind.  The 
plan  you  have  chosen  is  the  only  practicable 
one." 

"Very  well,  Breaker.  You  had  better  pass 
the  word  through  the  ship's  company  that  the 
Bellevite  will  sail  in  an  hour  or  two,  —  as  soon  as 
I  can  finish  my  business  ;  and  if  officer  or  seaman 
wishes  to  leave  the  vessel,  let  him  do  so,"  added 
the  owner,  as  he  moved  towards  the  companion- 
way. 

"Not  one  of  them  will   leave   her  under  any 


THE   FIKST   MISSION   OF   THE   BELLEVITE        53 

circumstances,"  replied  the  commander,  as  he 
went  forward. 

The  word  was  passed,  as  suggested  by  the 
owner,  and  the  result  was  to  set  the  greater  part 
of  the  officers  and  men  to  writing  letters  for  their 
friends,  to  be  sent  on  shore  by  the  tug ;  but  the 
captain  warned  them  not  to  say  a  word  in  regard 
to  the  destination  of  the  steamer. 

In  another  hour  Captain  Passford  had  com- 
pleted his  letters  and  papers,  including  letters  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  a  power  of  attorney 
to  his  wife  which  placed  his  entire  fortune  at  her 
command,  and  other  documents  which  the  hurried 
movements  of  the  writer  rendered  necessary. 

The  owner  and  his  son  bade  adieu  to  the  wife 
and  mother  in  the  cabin ;  and  it  is  not  necessary  to 
penetrate  the  sacred  privacy  of  such  an  occasion, 
for  it  was  a  tender,  sad,  and  trying  ordeal  to  all  of 
them. 

All  the  letters  were  gathered  together  and  com- 
mitted to  the  care  of  the  lady  as  she  went  over 
the  side  to  leave  the  floating  home  in  which  she 
had  lived  for  several  months,  for  the  family  did 
not  often  desert  their  palatial  cabin  for  the  poorer 
accommodations  of  a  hotel  on  shore. 


54  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

The  pilot  departed  in  the  tug,  and  he  was  no 
wiser  than  when  he  came  on  board  in  regard  to 
the  intentions  of  the  owner  of  the  steam-yacht. 
There  was  an  abundant  supply  of  coal  and  pro- 
visions on  board,  for  the  vessel  was  hardly  three 
clays  from  Bermuda  when  she  came  up  with  Sandy 
Hook ;  and  the  commander  gave  the  order  to 
weigh  anchor  as  soon  as  the  tug  cast  off  her  fasts. 

"  I  suppose  we  are  bound  somewhere,  Captain 
Passford,"  said  Captain  Breaker,  as  soon  as  the 
vessel  was  fully  under  way.  "  But  you  have  not 
yet  indicated  to  me  our  destination." 

"  Bermuda.  The  fact  is  that  I  have  been  so 
absorbed  in  the  tremendous  news  that  came  to  us 
with  the  pilot,  that  I  have  not  yet  come  to  my 
bearings,"  replied  the  owner  with  a  smile.  "  My 
first  duty  now  will  be  to  discuss  our  future  move- 
ments with  you  ;  and  when  you  have  given  out 
the  course,  we  will  attend  to  that  matter." 

Captain  Breaker  called  Mr.  Joel  Dashington, 
the  first  officer,  to  him,  and  gave  him  the  course 
of  the  ship,  as  indicated  by  the  owner.  He  was 
six  feet  and  one  inch  in  height,  and  as  thin  as  a 
rail ;  but  he  was  a  very  wiry  man,  and  it  was  said 
that  he  could  stand  more  hunger,  thirst,  exposure, 


THE  FIKST  MISSION  OF  THE   BELLEVITE        55 

and  hardship  than  any  other  living  man.  He  was 
a  gentleman  in  his  manners,  and  had  formerly 
been  in  command  of  a  ship  in  the  employ  of 
Captain  Passford.  He  was  not  quite  fifty  years 
old,  and  he  had  seen  service  in  all  parts  of  the 
world,  and  in  his  younger  days  had  been  a  master's 
mate  in  the  navy. 

The  second  officer  was  superintending  the  crew 
as  they  put  things  to  rights  for  the  voyage.  His 
person  was  in  striking  contrast  with  his  superior 
officer  ;  for  he  weighed  over  two  hundred  pounds, 
and  looked  as  though  he  were  better  fitted  for 
the  occupancy  of  an  alderman's  chair  than  for  a 
position  on  the  deck  of  a  sea-going  vessel.  He 
was  under  forty  years  of  age,  but  he  had  also 
been  in  command  of  a  bark  in  the  employ  of 
his  present  owner. 

"  Of  course  we  cannot  undertake  the  difficult 
enterprise  before  us,  Breaker,  without  an  arma- 
ment of  some  sort,"  said  Captain  Passford,  as 
they  halted  at  the  companionway. 

"  I  should  say  not,  and  I  was  wondering  how 
you  intended  to  manage  in  this  matter,"  replied 
the  commander. 

"I  will  tell  you,  for  our  first  mission  renders 


56  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

it  necessary  to  give  some  further  orders  before 
we  go  below,"  continued  the  owner.  "  We  have 
not  a  day  or  an  hour  to  waste." 

"  The  sooner  we  get  at  the  main  object  of  the 
expedition,  the  better  will  be  our  chances  of 
success." 

"You  remember  that  English  brig  which  was 
wrecked  on  Mills  Breaker,  while  we  were  at 
Hamilton  ?  " 

"  Very  well  indeed ;  and  she  was  said  to  be 
loaded  with  a  cargo  of  improved  guns,  with  the 
ammunition  for  them,  which  some  enterprising 
Britisher  had  brought  over  on  speculation,  for 
the  use  of  the  Confederate  army  and  navy,  — 
if  they  ever  have  any  navy,"  added  Captain 
Breaker. 

"  That  is  precisely  the  cargo  to  which  I  allude. 
The  brig  had  a  hole  in  her  bottom,  but  only  a 
part  of  her  was  under  water.  The  officers  of  the 
vessel  were  confident  that  the  entire  cargo  would 
be  saved,  with  not  much  of  it  in  a  damaged 
condition,"  added  the  owner. 

"  There  has  been  no  violent  storm  since  we 
left  St.  George,  hardly  three  days  ago,"  said  the 
commander. 


THE  FIRST  MISSION  OF  THE   BELLEVITE        57 

"I  wish  to  obtain  as  much  of  this  cargo  as 
will  be  necessary  to  arm  the  Bellevite  properly 
for  the  expedition  ;  and  I  have  a  double  object 
in  obtaining  it,  even  if  I  have  to  throw  half  of 
it  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean." 

"  The  fact  that  we  need  the  guns  and  ammu- 
nition is  reason  enough  for  trying  to  obtain  the 
cargo." 

"  But  I  have  the  additional  inducement  of 
keeping  it  out  of  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  so 
that  the  guns  shall  be  turned  against  the  foes 
of  the  Union  instead  of  its  friends.  We  must 
make  a  quick  passage,  so  that,  if  we  lose  this 
opportunity,  it  will  not  be  our  fault." 

"  I  understand.  Pass  the  word  for  Mr.  Vapoor," 
added  the  commander  to  a  quartermaster  who  was 
taking  in  the  ensign  at  the  peak. 

Mr.  Vapoor  was  the  chief  engineer ;  though 
he  was  the  youngest  officer  on  board,  and  really 
looked  younger  than  Christy  Passford. 


58  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   BELLEVITE  AND   THOSE   ON   BOARD  OF   HER 

Paul  Vapoor  was  a  genius,  and  that  accounted 
for  his  position  as  chief  engineer  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two.  He  was  born  a  machinist,  and  his 
taste  in  that  direction  had  made  him  a  very  hard 
student.  His  days  and  a  large  portion  of  his 
nights,  while  in  his  teens,  had  been  spent  in 
studying  physics,  chemistry,  and,  in  fact,  all  the 
sciences  which  had  any  bearing  upon  the  life- 
work  which  nature  rather  than  choice  had  given 
him  to  doo 

His  father  had  been  in  easy  circumstances 
formerly,  so  that  there  had  been  nothing  to 
interfere  with  his  studies  before  he  was  of  age. 
Up  to  this  period,  he  had  spent  much  of  his 
time  in  a  large  machine-shop,  working  for  nothing 
as  though  his  daily  bread  depended  upon  his 
exertions ;  and  he  was  better  qualified  to  run  an 


THE  BELLEVITE  AND  THOSE  ON  BOARD   59 

engine  than  most  men  who  had  served  for  years 
at  the  business,  for  he  was  a  natural  scientist. 

There  was  scarcely  a  part  of  an  engine  at 
which  he  had  not  worked  with  his  own  hands 
as  a  volunteer,  and  he  was  as  skilful  with  his 
hands  as  he  was  deep  with  his  head.  Paul's 
father  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Captain  Passford ; 
and  when  a  sudden  reverse  of  fortune  swept 
away  all  the  former  had,  the  latter  gave  the 
prodigy  a  place  as  assistant  engineer  on  board  of 
his  steam-yacht,  from  which,  at  the  death  of  the 
former  incumbent  of  the  position,  he  had  been 
promoted  to  the  head  of  the  department.  While 
his  talent  and  ability  were  of  the  highest  order, 
of  course  his  rapid  promotion  was  due  to  the 
favor  of  the  owner  of  the  Bellevite. 

Captain  Breaker,  who  had  rather  reluctantly 
assented  to  the  placing  in  charge  of  the  engineer 
department  a  young  man  of  only  twenty-one, 
had  no  occasion  to  regret  that  he  had  yielded  his 
opinion  to  that  of  his  owner.  Paul  Vapoor  had 
been  found  equal  to  all  the  requirements  of  the 
situation,  for  the  judgment  of  the  young  chief  was 
almost  as  marvellous  as  his  genius. 

Paul  was  gentle  in  his  manners,  and  possessed  a 


60  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

very  lovable  disposition ;  in  fact,  he  was  almost 
a  woman  in  all  the  tender  susceptibilities  of  his 
nature  ;  and  those  who  knew  him  best  knew  not 
which  to  admire  most,  his  genius  or  his  magnetic 
character.  Mr.  Leon  Bolter,  the  first  assistant 
engineer,  was  thirty-six  years  old ;  and  Mr.  Fred 
Faggs,  the  second,  was  twenty-six.  But  there  was 
neither  envy,  jealousy,  nor  other  ill-feeling  in  the 
soul  of  either  in  respect  to  his  superior ;  and  they 
recognized  the  God-given  genius  of  the  chief  more 
fully  than  others  could,  for  their  education  enabled 
them  to  understand  it  better. 

Paul  Vapoor  and  Christy  Passford  were  fast 
friends  almost  from  the  first  time  they  met;  and 
they  had  been  students  together  in  the  same 
institution,  though  they  were  widely  apart  in 
their  studies.  They  were  cronies  in  the  strongest 
sense  of  the  word,  and  the  chief  engineer  would 
have  given  up  his  very  life  for  the  son  of  his 
present  employer.  The  owner  favored  this  inti- 
macy, for  he  felt  that  he  could  not  find  in  all  the 
world  a  better  moral  and  intellectual  model  for 
his  son. 

Mr.  Vapoor,  as  he  was  always  called  when  on 
duty,  even  by  the  members  of  the  owner's  family, 


THE  BELLEVITE  AND  THOSE  ON  BOARD        61 

in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  seemed  to  be  only  a 
boy,  appeared  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the  steamer 
in  answer  to  the  summons  of  the  commander.  He 
was  neatly  dressed  in  a  suit  of  blue,  with  brass 
buttons,  though  some  of  the  oil  and  grime  of  the 
engine  defaced  his  uniform.  He  bowed,  and 
touched  his  cap  to  the  commander,  in  the  most 
respectful  manner  as  he  presented  himself  before 
him. 

"  For  reasons  which  you  will  understand  better, 
Mr.  Vapoor,  at  a  later  period,  Captain  Passford 
is  in  a  great  hurry  to  reach  Bermuda,  where  we 
are  bound,  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,"  the 
captain  began.  "  Our  ordinary  rate  of  speed  is 
fourteen  knots  when  we  don't  hurry  her." 

"  That  is  what  I  make  her  do  when  not  otherwise 
instructed,"  replied  the  chief  engineer. 

"You  assisted  as  a  volunteer  in  building  the 
engine  of  the  Bellevite,  and  you  were  in  the 
engine-room  during  the  whole  of  the  trial  trip, 
three  years  ago,"  continued  Captain  Breaker  with 
a  smile  on  his  face  ;  and  a  smile  seemed  to  be  a 
necessity  in  the  presence  of  the  young  man. 

"  That  is  all  very  true,  captain ;  and  I  was  more 
interested  in  this  engine  than  I  have  ever  been  in 


62  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

any  other,  and  it  has  fully  realized  my  strongest 
hopes." 

"  What  speed  did  you  get  out  of  her  on  the 
trial  trip  ?  " 

"  Eighteen  knots ;  but  her  machinery  was  new 
then.  The  order  of  Captain  Passford  included 
the  requirement  that  the  engine  of  the  vessel 
should  give  her  the  greatest  speed  ever  produced 
in  a  sea-going  steamer,  and  the  Bellevite  was 
built  strong  enough  to  bear  such  an  engine.  I 
believe  the  company  that  built  it  fully  met  the 
requirement." 

"  What  do  you  believe  to  be  her  best  speed,  Mr. 
Vapoor?" 

"  I  have  never  had  the  opportunity  to  test  it, 
but  I  believe  that  she  can  make  more  than  twenty 
knots,  possibly  twenty-two.  You  remember  that 
Captain  Passford  was  in  a  desperate  hurry  to  get 
from  Messina  to  Marseilles  a  year  ago  this  month, 
and  the  Bellevite  logged  twenty  knots  during 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  trip,"  replied  the  engineer, 
with  a  gentle  smile  of  triumph  on  his  handsome 
face,  for  he  looked  upon  the  feat  of  the  engine  as 
he  would  upon  a  noble  deed  of  his  father. 

"  You  made  her  shake  on  that  trip,  Mr. 
Vapoor." 


THE  BELLEVITE  AND  THOSE  OX  BOARD        63 

"Not  very  much,  sir.  All  the  owner's  family, 
including  Miss  Florry,  were  on  board  then  ,  and, 
if  any  thing  had  happened,  I  should  have  charged 
myself  with  murder.  I  do  not  know  what  the 
Bellevite  could  do  if  the  occasion  warranted  me 
in  taking  any  risk." 

"  I  do  not  wish  you  to  be  reckless  on  the  present 
emergency ;  but  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
save  every  hour  we  can,  and  the  success  or  failure 
of  the  expedition  may  depend  upon  a  single  hour. 
I  will  say  no  more,  though  an  accident  to  the 
engine  would  be  a  disaster  to  the  enterprise.  I 
leave  the  matter  with  you,  Mr.  Vapoor,"  added 
the  commander,  as  he  moved  off. 

"  I  understand  you  perfectly.  Captain  Breaker, 
and  there  shall  be  no '  failure  in  the  engine 
department  to  meet  your  wishes,"  replied  the 
chief,  as  he  touched  his  cap  and  retired  to 
the  engine-room. 

"  I  am  waiting  for  you,  Breaker,"  said  Captain 
Passford,  who  was  standing  near  the  companion- 
way  with  Christy. 

"  Excuse  me  for  a  few  minutes  more,  for 
there  seems  to  be  a  strong  breeze  coming  up 
from  the  north-east,  and  I  want  to  take    a   look 


64  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

at  the  situation,"  replied  the  commander,  and 
he  hastened  forward. 

It  had  been  bright  sunshine  when  the  pilot 
came  on  board;  but  suddenly  the  wind  had 
veered  to  an  ugly  quarter,  and  had  just  begun 
to  pipe  up  into  something  like  half  a  gale. 
Captain  Breaker  went  to  the  pilot-house,  looked 
at  the  barometer,  and  then  directed  Mr.  Dash- 
ington  to  crowd  on  all  sail,  for  he  intended  to 
to  drive  the  vessel  to  her  utmost  capacity. 

The  Bellevite  was  rigged  as  a  barkantine  ;  that 
is,  she  was  square-rigged  on  her  foremast,  like  a 
ship,  while  her  main  and  mizzen  masts  carried 
only  fore-and-aft  sails,  including  gaff-topsails.  The 
shrill  pipe  of  the  boatswain  immediately  sounded 
through  the  vessel,  and  twenty-four  able  seamen 
dashed  to  their  stations.  In  a  few  minutes,  every 
rag  of  canvas  which  the  steamer  could  carry  was 
set.  But  the  commander  did  not  wait  for  this 
to  be  done,  but  hastened  to  join  the  owner. 

"I  suppose  you  don't  want  me,  sir,"  said 
Christy,  as  his  father  led  the  way  into  the 
cabin. 

"On  the  contrary,  I  do  want  you,  Christy," 
replied  Captain  Passford,  as  he  halted,  and   the 


THE  BELLEVITE  AND  THOSE   ON  BOARD        65 

commander  passed  him  on  his  way  to  the  cabin. 
"  I  wish  you  to  understand  as  well  as  I  do  myself 
what  we  are  going  to  do." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  know  more  about  it," 
added  Christy,  pleased  with  the  confidence  his 
father  reposed  in  him  in  connection  with  the 
serious  undertaking  before  him. 

"  In  the  work  I  have  to  do,  you  stand  nearer  to 
me  than  any  other  person  on  board,"  continued 
Captain  Passford.  "I  know  what  you  are,  and 
you  are  older  than  your  sixteen  years  make  you. 
It  was  at  your  age  that  Charles  XII.  took 
command  of  the  armies  of  Sweden,  and  he  was 
more  than  a  figure-head  in  his  forces." 

"  Sometimes  I  feel  older  than  I  am,"  suggested 
the  boy. 

"  I  believe  in  keeping  a  boy  young  as  long  as 
possible,  and  I  have  never  hurried  you  by  putting 
you  in  an  important  place,  though  at  one  time  I 
thought  of  having  a  third  officer,  and  assigning 
you  to  the  position,  for  the  practice  it  would  give 
you  in  real  life ;  but  I  concluded  that  you  had 
better  not  be  driven  forward." 

"  I  think  I  know  something  about  handling  a 
steamer,  father." 


66  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"I  know  you  do;  though  I  have  never  told  you 
so,  for  I  did  not  care  to  have  you  think  too  much 
of  yourself.  Now,  in  common  witli  all  the  rest  of 
us,  you  are  hurled  into  the  presence  of  mighty 
events ;  and  in  a  single  day  from  a  boy  you  must 
become  a  man.  You  are  my  nearest  representative 
on  board ;  and  if  any  thing  should  happen  to  me, 
in  the  midst  of  the  perils  of  this  expedition,  a 
responsibility  would  fall  upon  you  which  you 
cannot  understand  now.  I  wish  to  prepare  you 
for  it,"  said  Captain  Passford,  as  he  went  down 
into  the  cabin. 

The  commander  was  already  seated  at  the  table, 
waiting  for  the  owner  ;  and  Captain  Passford  and 
Christy  took  places  near  him.  The  cabin  was  as 
elegant  and  luxurious  as  money  and  taste  could 
make  it.  In  the  large  state-room  of  the  owner 
there  was  every  thing  to  make  a  sea-voyage 
comfortable  and  pleasant  to  one  who  had  a 
liking  for  the  ocean. 

Leading  from  the  main  cabin  were  the  state- 
rooms of  Florence  and  Christy.  One  of  the  four 
others  was  occupied  by  Dr.  Linscott,  the  surgeon 
of  the  ship,  who  had  had  abundant  experience  in 
his  profession,  who   had   been   an   army  surgeon 


THE  BELLEVITE  AND  THOSE  ON  BOARD        67 

in  the  Mexican  war,  though  his  health  did  not 
permit  him  to  practise  on  shore. 

Another  was  occupied  by  the  chief  steward, 
who  was  a  person  of  no  little  consequence  on 
board;  while  the  others  were  appropriated  to 
guests  when  there  were  any,  as  was  often  the 
case  when  the  Bellevite  made  short  voyages. 

The  trio  at  the  table  began  the  discussion  of 
the  subject  before  them  without  delay ;  but  it  is 
not  necessaiy  to  enter  into  its  details,  since, 
whatever  plans  were  made,  they  must  still  be 
subject  to  whatever  contingencies  were  presented 
when  the  time  for  action  came. 

Forward  of  the  main  cabin  was  what  is  called 
in  naval  parlance  the  ward-room,  and  it  was 
called  by  this  name  on  board  of  the  Bellevite.  In 
this  apartment  the  officers  next  in  rank  below 
the  commander  took  their  meals;  and  from  it 
opened  the  state-rooms  of  the  first  and  second 
officers  on  the  starboard-side,  with  one  for  the 
chief  engineer  on  the  port-side,  and  another  for 
his  two  assistants  next  abaft  it. 

The  commander  was  an  old  friend  of  the 
owner,  and  messed  with  him  in  the  main  cabin, 
though   his   state-room   was    a    large    apartment 


68  TAKEN   BY   THE  ENEMY 

between  the  cabin  and  the  ward-room ;  the  space 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ship  being  used  for 
the  pantries  and  the  bath-room. 

Before  the  conference  in  the  cabin  had  pro- 
ceeded far,  the  motion  of  the  steamer,  and  the 
creaking  of  the  timbers  within  her,  indicated 
that  Mr.  Vapoor  was  doing  all  that  could  be 
required  of  him  in  the  matter  of  speed,  though 
the  pressure  of  canvas  steadied  the  vessel  in  the 
heavy  sea  which  the  increasing  breeze  had 
suddenly  produced.  Before  night,  the  wind  was 
blowing  a  full  gale,  and  some  reduction  of  sail 
became  necessary. 

The  Bellevite  had  the  wind  fair,  and  the  most 
that  was  possible  was  made  of  this  accessory  to 
her  speed.  At  one  time  she  actually  logged  the 
twenty-two  knots  which  the  chief  engineer  had 
suggested  as  her  limit,  and  inside  of  two  days 
ohe  reached  her  destination.  Christy  had  suddenly 
become  the  active  agent  of  his  father,  and  he  was 
the  first  to  be  sent  on  shore  to  obtain  information 
in  regard  to  the  guns  and  ammunition,  for  it  was 
thought  that  he  would  excite  less  suspicion  than 
any  other  on  board. 


MR.  PERCY  PIERSON  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF      69 


CHAPTER   VI 

MR.   PERCY  PIERSON   INTRODUCES   HIMSELF 

Christy  procured  the  desired  information  on 
shore ;  and  being  but  a  boy,  he  obtained  no  credit 
for  the  head  he  carried  on  his  shoulders,  so  that 
no  attention  was  given  to  him  when  he  made 
his  investigation.  At  the  proper  time  Captain 
Passford  appeared ;  but,  as  the  guns  and  other 
war  material  were  intended  for  the  other  side 
in  the  conflict,  he  was  obliged  to  resort  to  a  little 
strategy  to  obtain  them. 

But  they  were  obtained,  and  the  Bellevite  was 
as  fully  armed  and  prepared  for  an  emergency  as 
though  she  had  been  in  the  employ  of  the 
Government,  as  it  was  intended  that  she  should 
be  when  her  present  mission  was  accomplished. 
During  her  stay  at  St.  George,  such  changes  as 
were  necessary  to  adapt  the  vessel  to  her  enter- 
prise—  such  as  the  fitting  up  of  a  magazine  — 
were  completed,  and  the  steamer  sailed. 


TO  TAKEN  BT   THE  ENEMY 

After  a  quick  passage,  the  Bellevite  arrived  at 
New  Providence,  Nassau,  where  she  put  in  to 
obtain  some  needed  supplies,  as  it  was  directly 
on  her  course.  Already  there  was  not  a  little 
activity  at  the  principal  foreign  ports  nearest  to 
the  Southern  States,  created  by  the  hurried  opera- 
tions of  speculators  anxious  to  profit  by  the  war 
that  was  to  come ;  and  later  these  harbors  were 
the  refuge  of  the  blockade-runners. 

The  arrival  of  the  Bellevite  at  New  Providence 
created  not  a  little  excitement  among  the  Confed- 
erate sympathizers  who  had  hastened  there  to 
take  advantage  of  the  maritime  situation,  and 
to  procure  vessels  for  the  use  of  the  South  in 
the  struggle.  The  steamer  was  painted  black, 
and,  as  she  had  been  built  after  plans  suggested 
by  her  owner,  she  was  peculiar  in  her  construction 
to  some  extent,  and  her  appearance  baffled  the 
curiosity  of  the  active  Confederate  patriots  and 
speculators  alike  ;  for  both  classes  were  represented 
there,  though  not  yet  in  large  numbers. 

Captain  Passford  had  instructed  the  commander 
to  conceal  all  the  facts  in  regard  to  her,  and  no 
flag  or  any  thing  else  which  could  betray  her 
nationality  or  character  was  allowed  to  be  see;;. 


MR.  PERCY  riEKSON   INTRODUCES  IIIM.SELF      71 

The  business  of  obtaining  the  needed  stores 
required  many  of  the  officers  and  men  to  go  on 
shore,  but  all  of  them  were  instructed  to  answer 
no  questions.  No  one  was  allowed  to  come  on 
board. 

"  Good-morning,  my  friend,"  said  a  young  man 
to  Christy,  as  he  landed  on  the  day  after  the 
arrival. 

"  Good-morning,"  replied  the  owner's  son,  civilly 
enough,  as  he  looked  over  the  person  addressing 
him,  who  appeared  to  be  a  young  man  not  more 
than  eighteen  years  old. 

"  What  steamer  is  that?"  continued  the  stranger, 
pointing  to  the  steam-yacht. 

Christy  looked  at  his  interlocutor,  who  was  a 
pleasant-looking  young  man,  though  there  was 
something  which  did  not  appear  to  be  quite 
natural  in  his  expression ;  and  he  suspected  that 
he  had  been  placed  at  the  landing  to  interrogate 
him  or  some  other  person  from  the  steamer,  in 
regard  to  her  character  and  nationality.  Possibly 
he  derived  this  idea  from  the  fact  that  he  had 
himself  been  employed  on  a  similar  duty  at  St. 
George. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  schooner  ?  "  asked  Christy 


72  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

carelessly,  as  he  pointed  at  a  vessel  much  nearer 
the  shore  than  the  Bellevite. 

"  No,  not  at  all,"  replied  the  stranger.  "  I  mean 
that  steamer,  off  to  the  north-east,"  replied  the 
young  man,  pointing  out  into  the  bay. 

"North-east?"  added  the  owner's  son.  "That 
is  this  way ; "  and  he  turned  about,  and  directed 
his  finger  towards  the  interior  of  the  island. 
"  That  would  put  the  craft  you  mean  on  the  shore, 
wouldn't  it  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it !  I  don't  mean  that  way. 
Don't  you  know  the  points  of  the  compass  ? " 

"  I  learned  them  when  I  was  young,  but  I  forget 
them  now." 

"  Pray  how  old  are  you,  my  friend  ?  ''  asked  the 
stranger,  who  thought  his  companion  was  stupid 
enough  to  answer  any  question  he  might  put  to 
him. 

"  I  was  forty-two  yesterday ;  and  in  a  year  from 
yesterday,  I  shall  be  forty-three,  if  I  don't  die  of 
old  age  before  that  time,"  replied  Christy,  looking 
the  other  full  in  the  face,  and  with  as  serious  an 
expression  as  he  could  command. 

"Forty-two!  You  are  chaffing  me.  Didn't 
you    come   from    that   steamer  over  there  ? "  de- 


MR.  PERCY  PIERSON   INTRODUCES  HIMSELF      73 

manded  the  young  man,  pointing  at  the  Bellevite 
again. 

"  No,  sir.  I  came  from  China,  from  a  place 
they  call  Shensibangerwhang.  Were  you  ever 
there  ?  " 

"  I  never  was  there,  and  I  question  if  you  were 
ever  there." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  question  my  veracity  ? " 
demanded  Christy,  knitting  his  brow. 

"  Oh,  no,  not  at  all !  " 

"  Very  well ;  and  when  you  go  to  Shensibanger- 
whang, I  shall  be  glad  to  see  you ;  and  then  I  will 
endeavor  to  answer  all  the  questions  you  desire  to 
ask." 

"I  thought  you  came  from  that  steamer  over 
there." 

"Thought  made  a  world,  but  it  wasn't  your 
thought  that  did  it." 

"  Of  course  you  know  the  name  of  that 
steamer." 

"  Oh,  now  I  think  of  her  name !  That  is  the 
Chicherwitherwing,  and  she  belongs  to  the  Chinese 
navy.  She  is  sent  out  on  a  voyage  of  discovery 
to  find  the  north  pole,  which  she  expects  to  reach 
here  in  the  West  Indies.     When  she  finds  it,  I 


74  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

will  let  you  know  by  mail,  if  you  will  give  me 
your  address,"  rattled  Christy  with  abundant 
self-possession. 

"  No,  no,  now  !     You  are  chaffing  me." 

"Do  you  know,  brother  mortal  of  mine,  that  I 
suspect  you  are  a  Yankee  ;  for  they  say  they  live 
on  baked  beans,  and  earn  the  money  to  buy  the 
pork  for  them  by  asking  questions." 

"  I  am  not  a  Yankee ;  I  am  a  long  way  from 
that." 

"  Then  perhaps  you  sympathize  with  the  meri- 
donial  section  of  the  nation  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Gulf  Stream." 

"Which  section?"  asked  the  stranger,  looking 
a  little  puzzled. 

"The  meridonial  section." 

"  Which  is  that  ?  I  don't  know  which  meridian 
you  mean." 

"  I  mean  no  meridian.  Perhaps  the  word  is  a 
little  irregular ;  I  studied  French  when  I  was  in 
the  Bangerwhangerlang  College  in  China,  and  I 
am  sometimes  apt  to  get  that  language  mixed  up 
with  some  other.  Let  me  see,  we  were  speaking 
just  now,  were  we  not?" 

"  I  was." 


MR.  PERCY  PIERSON  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF      75 

"  Sometimes  I  can't  speak  any  English,  and  I 
had  forgotten  about  it.  If  you  prefer  to  carry  on 
this  conversation  in  Hebrew  or  Hindostanee,  I 
shall  not  object,"  added  Christy  gravely. 

"  I  think  I  can  do  better  with  English." 

"Have  your  own  way  about  it;  but  'meridonial' 
in  French  means  '  southern,'  if  you  will  excuse  mo 
for  making  the  suo-o-estion." 

"Then  I  am  meridonial,"  replied  the  stranger, 
and  he  seemed  to  make  the  admission  under  the 
influence  of  a  sudden  impulse. 

"  Your  hand  on  that !  "  promptly  added  Christy, 
extending  his  own. 

"All  right!"  exclaimed  the  other.  "  My  name 
is  Percy  Pierson.     What  is  yours?" 

"  Percy  Pierson  !  "  exclaimed  Christy,  starting 
back  with  astonishment,  as  though  his  companion 
had  fired  a  pistol  in  his  face. 

"  What  is  the  matter  now  ?  "  demanded  Percy 
Pierson,  surprised  at  the  demonstration  of  the  other. 

"  What  did  you  say  your  name  was  ?  Did  I 
understand  you  aright?  " 

"I  said  my  name  was  Percy  Pierson.  Is  there 
any  thing  surprising  about  that  ? "  asked  Percy, 
puzzled  at  the  demeanor  of  Christy. 


76  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  See  here,  my  jolly  highflyer,  who  told  you  my 
name  ?  "  demanded  the  son  of  the  owner  of  the 
Bellevite,  with  a  certain  amount  of  indignation 
in  his  manner. 

"  You  did  not,  to  be  sure,  though  I  asked  you 
what  it  was." 

"  What  sort  of  a  game  are  you  trying  to  play 
off  on  me  ?  I  am  an  innocent  young  fellow  of 
sixteen,  and  I  don't  like  to  have  others  playing 
tricks  on  me.  Who  told  you  my  name,  if  you 
please  ?  " 

"  No  one  told  me  your  name ;  and  I  don't 
know  yet  what  it  is,  though  I  have  asked  it  of 
you."  * 

"  Oh,  get  away  with  you !  You  are  playing  off 
something  on  me  which  I  don't  understand,  and 
I  think  I  had  better  bid  you  good-morning," 
added  Christy,  as  he  started  to  move  off. 

"  Then  you  won't  tell  me  your  name.  Stay  a 
minute." 

"  You  know  my  name  as  well  as  I  do,  and  you 
are  up  to  some  trick  with  me,"  protested  Christy, 
halting. 

"  Ton  my  honor  as  a  Southern  gentleman,  I 
don't  know  your  name." 


ME.  PERCY  PIERSON  INTRODUCES  HIMSELF      77 

"If  you  are  a  Southern  gentleman,  I  must 
believe  you,  for  I  did  not  come  from  as  far  north 
as  I  might  have  come.  My  name  is  Percy 
Pierson,"  added  Christy  seriously ;  for  he  felt  that 
this  was  actually  war,  and  that  the  strategy  that 
does  not  always  or  often  speak  the  truth  was 
justifiable. 

"  Percy  Pierson  !  "  exclaimed  the  real  owner  of 
the  name.  "  Didn't  I  just  tell  you  that  was  my 
name  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly  you  did,  and  that  is  the  reason 
why  I  thought  you  were  making  game  of  me." 

"  But  how  can  that  be  when  my  name  is  Percy 
Pierson  ?  " 

"  Give  it  up ;  but  I  suggest  that  in  London, 
where  I  came  from,  there  are  acres  of  King 
Streets,  almost  as  many  Queens ;  and,  though  you 
may  not  be  aware  of  the  fact,  there  are  seven 
thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven  native 
and  foreign  born  citizens  of  the  name  of  John 
Smith.  Possibly  you  and  I  are  the  only  two 
Percy  Piersons  in  the  country,  or  in  the  world." 

"  Now  you  say  you  are  from  London,  and  a 
little  while  ago  you  said  you  were  from  farther 
north  than  I  am.     Which  is  it?" 


78  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  Isn't  London  farther  north  than  any  Southern 
State  ?  " 

"  Enough  of  this,"  continued  Percy  impatiently. 

"  Quite  enough  of  it,"  assented  Christy. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  what  steamer  that  is,  where 
she  is  bound,  and  what  she  is  here  for  ?  " 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Pierson,  it  would  take  me  forty- 
eight  hours  to  tell  you  all  that,"  replied  the 
representative  of  the  Bellevite,  taking  out  his 
watch.  "  If  you  will  meet  me  here  to-morrow 
night  at  sundown,  I  will  make  a  beginning  of  the 
yarn,  and  I  think  I  can  finish  it  in  two  days. 
But  really  jou  must  excuse  me  now ;  for  I  have 
to  dine  with  the  Chinese  admiral  at  noon,  and  I 
must  go  at  once." 

"  I  can  put  the  owner  of  that  craft  in  the  way 
of  making  a  fortune  for  himself,  if  he  is  willing  to 
part  with  her,"  added  Percy,  as  his  companion 
began  to  move  off. 

"  That  is  just  what  the  owner  of  that  steamer 
wants  to  do :  he  desires  to  part  with  her,  and  he 
is  determined  to  get  rid  of  her.  I  have  the 
means  of  knowing  that  he  will  let  her  go  just  as 
soon  as  he  can  possibly  get  rid  of  her." 

"  Then  he  is  the  man  my  father  wants  to  see ; 


MK.  PERCY  PIERSON  INTRODUCES   HIMSELF       79 

that  is,  if  the  vessel  is  what  she  appears  to  be,  for 
no  one  is  allowed  to  go  on  board  of  her." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  tear  myself  away  from  you,  but 
positively  I  must  go  now ;  for  the  Chinese  admiral 
will  get  very  impatient  if  I  am  not  on  time,  and 
I  have  some  important  business  with  him  before 
dinner,"  said  Christy,  as  he  increased  his  pace  and 
got  away  from  Mr.  Percy  Pierson,  though  he  was 
afraid  he  would  follow  him. 

But  he  did  not ;  instead  of  doing  so,  he  began 
to  talk  with  a  boatman  who  had  some  kind  of  a 
craft  at  the  landing.  Christy  was  not  in  so  much 
of  a  hurry  as  he  had  appeared  to  be,  and  he 
waited  in  the  vicinity  till  he  saw  his '  Southern 
friend  embark  in  a  boat  which  headed  for  the 
Bellevite.  He  concluded  that  his  communicative 
friend  meant  to  go  on  board  of  her,  thinking  the 
vessel  was  for  sale. 


80  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER   VII 

A   COMPLICATION   AT   GLENFIELD 

The  boat  in  which  Christy  had  come  on  shore 
carried  off  to  the  steamer  the  last  load  of  supplies, 
and  she  sailed  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon. 
Captain  Passford  and  Christy  were  standing  on 
the  quarter  deck  together ;  and,  as  the  latter  had 
not  had  time  to  tell  his  father  his  adventure 
before,  he  was  now  relating  it. 

The  captain  was  amused  with  the  story,  and 
told  his  son  that  he  had  been  approached  by  a 
gentleman  who  said  his  name  was  Pierson,  and 
he  was  probably  the  father  of  the  enterprising- 
young  man  who  had  been  so  zealous  to  assist  in 
the  purchase  of  a  suitable  vessel  for  the  service 
of  the  Confederates. 

"  Let  me  alone  !  Take  you  hands  off  of  me  ! " 
shouted  a  voice  that  sounded  rather  familiar  to 
Christy,  as  he  and  his  father  were    still    talking 


"Let  Me  alone,  I  AM  a  Southern  Gentleman  "  (Page  81) 


A  COMPLICATION"  AT  GLENFIELD  81 

on  the  deck.  "  Let  me  alone  !  I  am  a  Southern 
gentleman ! " 

"  I  know  you  are,"  replied  Mr.  Dashington, 
as  he  appeared  on  deck,  coming  up  from  the 
companionway  that  led  to  the  cabin  and  ward- 
room, holding  by  the  collar  a  young  man  who 
was  struggling  to  escape  from  his  strong  grasp. 
"  Don't  make  a  fuss,  my  hearty :  I  want  to 
introduce  you  to  the  captain." 

"  What  have  you  got  there,  Mr.  Dashington  ?  " 
asked  Captain  Breaker,  who  was  standing  near 
the  owner. 

"  I  have  got  a  young  cub  who  says  he  is 
a  Southern  gentleman ;  and  I  suppose  he  is," 
replied  the  first  officer.  "  But  he  is  a  stowaway, 
and  was  hid  away  under  my  berth  in  the  ward- 
room. —  Here  you  are,  my  jolly  frisker  :  and  that 
gentleman  is  the  captain  of  the  steamer." 

As  he  spoke,  the  officer  set  his  victim  down 
rather  heavily  on  the  deck,  and  he  sprawled 
out  at  full  length  on  the  planks.  But  he  was 
sputtering  with  rage  at  the  treatment  he  had 
received;  and  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  rushing 
towards  Mr.  Dashington  as  though  he  intended 
to  annihilate    him.      But,  before  he    reached    hits 


82  TAKEN   BY   THE  ENEMY 

intended  victim,  he  stopped  short,  and  eyed  the 
tall  and  wiry  first  officer  from  head  to  foot. 

He  concluded  not  to  execute  his  purpose  upon 
him,  for  he  could  hardly  have  reached  his  chin  if 
he  resorted  to  violence.  But  he  turned  his  back 
to  the  captain,  so  that  the  owner  and  his  son  did 
not  get  a  look  at  his  face.  Captain  Breaker 
walked  up  to  him  and  began  to  question  him. 

"  If  you  are  a  Southern  gentleman,  as  I  heard 
you  say  you  were,  don't  you  think  it  is  a  little 
irregular  to  be  hid  in  the  ward-room  of  this 
vessel?"  was  the  first  question  the  commander 
asked. 

"I  am  what  I  said  I  was,  and  I  am  proud  to 
say  it ;  and  I  don't  allow  any  man  to  put  his 
hands  on  me,"  blustered  the  prisoner. 

"  But  I  think  you  did  allow  Mr.  Dashington 
to  put  his  hands  on  you,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  Of  course  I  did  not  know  that  he  was  a 
Southern  gentleman  when  I  snaked  him  out  from 
under  the  berth,"  added  the  first  officer. 

"  I  accept  your  apology,"  said  the  prisoner, 
coming  down  from  his  high  horse  with  sudden 
energy ;  possibly  because  he  felt  that  he  had  a 
mission  on  board  of  the  steamer. 


A  COMPLICATION  AT  GLENFIELD  83 

All  present  laughed  heartily  at  the  apology  of 
the  giant  mate,  and  Christy  changed  his  position 
so  that  he  could  see  the  front  of  the  stowaway. 

"  Why,  that  is  the  gentleman  I  met  on  shore,  — 
Mr.  Percy  Pierson  ! "  exclaimed  the  owner's  son, 
as  soon  as  he  saw  the  face  of  his  late  companion 
at  the  landing. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  Mr.  Percy 
Pierson,"  said  the  original  of  that  name,  as  he 
extended  his  hand  to  Christy. 

"  I  did  not  expect  to  meet  you  again  so  soon, 
and  under  such  circumstances,"  replied  he,  taking 
the  offered  hand;  for  his  father  had  proclaimed 
his  own  principle  on  board,  that,  though  the  war 
was  not  to  be  conducted  on  peace  principles,  it 
was  to  be  carried  on  in  an  enlightened,  and  even 
gentlemanly  manner,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned. 

"  I  am  right  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Percy  Pierson, 
for  I  think  you  can  assist  me  in  the  object  I  have 
in  view,"  said  the  first  officer's  victim,  looking  now 
as  though  he  was  entirely  satisfied  with  himself. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  calling  each  other  by 
the  same  name  ? "  inquired  Captain  Breaker, 
somewhat  astonished  at  this  phase  of  the  conver- 
sation. 


84  TAKEN   BY   THE  ENEMY 

"  That  is  the  most  astonishing  thing  in  the 
world,  that  my  friend  here  should  have  the  same 
name  I  have ;  and  he  even  thought  I  was  playing 
a  game  upon  him  when  I  told  him  what  my  name 
was,"  replied  Percy,  laughing,  and  apparently 
somewhat  inflated  to  find  a  friend  on  board. 

"  Precisely  so,"  interposed  Captain  Passford, 
before  the  commander  had  time  to  say  any  thing 
more  about  the  name.  "  But,  as  you  both  have 
the  same  name,  it  will  be  necessary  to  distinguish 
you  in  some  manner,  or  it  may  make  confusion 
while  you  remain  on  board." 

"  I  see  the  point,  sir,  though  I  do  not  expect  to 
remain  on  board  for  any  great  length  of  time ;  or 
possibly  you  may  not,"  answered  Percy. 

"Then,  I  suggest  that  you  be  called  simply 
Percy,  for  that  is  a  noble  name  ;  and  the  other 
young  man  shall  be  addressed  as  Pierson.  By 
doing  this  we  shall  not  sacrifice  either  of  you," 
continued  the  owner,  who  did  not  understand 
what  his  son  had  been  doing. 

"  I  have  not  the  slightest  objection.  My  friend 
Pierson  gave  me  some  information  in  regard  to 
this  steamer  which  made  me  very  desirous  to  get 
on  board  of  her.     That  must  explain  why  I  was 


A  COMPLICATION  AT   GLENFIELD  85 

found  here  under  circumstances  somewhat  irregu- 
lar, though  a  true  gentleman  can  sacrifice  himself 
to  the  needs  of  his  suffering  country." 

"  To  what  country  do  you  allude,  Mr.  Percy  ?  " 
asked  Captain  Passford. 

"  To  our  country,"  replied  Percy  with  strong 
and  significant  emphasis,  as  though  he  were  sure 
that  this  would  cause  him  to  be  fully  understood. 

"  Exactly  so,"  added  the  owner. 

"But  I  see  that  you  are  sailing  away  from 
Nassau  as  fast  as  you  can,  and  I  think  I  had 
better  explain  my  business  as  soon  as  possible," 
continued  Percy,  who  seemed  to  be  as  confident  as 
though  he  had  already  accomplished  his  purpose 
as  hinted  at  in  his  conversation  with  Christy. 

"  I  shall  have  to  ask  jow.  to  excuse  me  for  a  few 
minutes,  for  I  have  a  little  business  with  the 
captain  of  the  steamer  and  this  young  man,"  said 
Captain  Passford.  "  The  tall  gentleman  who  so 
gracefully  apologized  for  his  seeming  rudeness  to 
you  will  entertain  you  while  I  am  absent." 

The  owner  presented  the  tall  first  officer  by 
name  to  his  late  victim,  and  at  the  same  time  gave 
him  a  look  which  Mr.  Dashington  understood  to 
the    effect  that  he  was  to  keep  the   young    man 


86  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

where  he  was.  With  a  signal  to  his  son  and  to 
the  captain,  he  went  below. 

"I  do  not  understand  this  masquerade,  Christy," 
said  he,  as  he  seated  himself  at  the  cabin  table. 
"  What  have  you  been  telling  this  young  fellow  ?  " 

Christy  had  only  informed  his  father  that  he 
had  been  approached  by  Percy,  and  that  he  had, 
as  well  as  he  could,  evaded  his  questions,  and  he 
had  fooled  the  young  man.  He  then  gave  the 
substance  of  the  conversation  at  the  landing, 
which  amused  both  the  owner  and  the  com- 
mander very  much;  though  he  could  not  recall 
the  Chinese  names,  invented  on  the  spot,  which 
he  had  used. 

"All  right,  Christy.  This  young  man  is  evi- 
dently the  son  of  the  gentleman  by  the  name 
of  Pierson  who  approached  me  for  the  purpose  of 
purchasing  the  Bellevite.  I  went  so  far  as  to  tell 
him  that  the  vessel  was  for  service  in  Southern 
waters.  At  any  rate,  he  inferred  that  she  was 
intended  for  the  navy  of  the  Confederate  States, 
and  I  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  undeceive  him. 
With  this  belief,  he  sought  no  further  to  buy  the 
vessel,  and  I  bad  no  difficulty  in  shaking  him  off. 
It  seems  that  the  same  mission  absorbs  the  atten- 


A  COMPLICATION  AT   GLENFIELU  87 

tion  of  the  son,  and  that  he  has  come  on  board  to 
purchase  the  steamer." 

"  I  told  him  that  you  wanted  to  get  rid  of  her, 
and  that  you  would  do  so  soon,  by  which,  of 
course,  I  meant  that  she  was  to  go  into  the  service 
of  the  Government,"  added  Christy. 

"I  should  not  have  taken  this  young  man  on 
board ;  but,  as  he  is  here,  he  may  be  of  use  to  us. 
But  it  is  necessary  to  conceal  from  him  the  real 
character  of  the  Bellevite,  and  we  will  keep  up 
the  farce  as  long  as  we  please.  So  far  as  he  is 
concerned,  Christy,  you  may  be  my  nephew 
instead  of  my  son." 

Captain  Passford  led  the  way  back  to  the  deck, 
where  they  found  the  first  officer  evidently  on 
the  best  of  terms  with  his  prisoner.  But  Mr. 
Dashington  had  been  as  discreet  as  a  man  could 
be,  and  Percy  had  not  obtained  a  particle  of 
information  from  him. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Percy,  I  am  at  your  service," 
said  the  owner,  when  he  reached  the  deck.  "  I 
think  you  said  you  had  some  business  with 
me. 

"  I  have  not  the  pleasure  of  knowing  who  or 
what  you  are,  sir ;    and  Mr.  Dashington  and  my 


88  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

friend  Mr.  Pierson  are  all  I  know  on  board  by 
name,"  added  Percy. 

"Then  you  must  be  made  better  acquainted 
before  any  thing  can  be  done,"  replied  the  owner, 
pointing  to  the  captain  of  the  steamer.  "  Mr. 
Percy,  this  is  Captain  Breaker,  the  commander 
of  the  steamer." 

"  And  this,"  added  Captain  Breaker,  pointing 
it  the  owner,  "is  Captain  Passford,  who  is  the 
fortunate  owner  of  this  vessel,  though  she  is  soon 
to  pass  into  other  hands." 

"  Captain  Passford  ! "  exclaimed  Percy,  bowing 
to  both  gentlemen  as  he  was  presented  to  them. 
"  That  is  a  familiar  name  to  me ;  and  upon 
my  word,  I  thought  it  was  Colonel  Passford  of 
Glenfield  when  I  first  looked  at  him." 

"  He  is  my  brother ;  but  I  never  heard  him 
called  '  colonel  '  before,"  added  the  owner, 
laughing  at  the  odd-sounding  title,  as  it  was 
to  him. 

"  Colonel  Homer  Passford  is  the  name  by  which 
he  is  often  called  near  his  residence,"  Percy 
explained.  "  He  is  the  nearest  neighbor  of  my 
father,  Colonel  Richard  Pierson." 

"  Indeed  !  then  you  probably  know  my  brother," 


A  COMPLICATION  AT  GLENFIELD  89 

said  Captain  Passford,  interested  in  spite  of 
himself. 

"  As  well  as  I  know  any  gentleman  in  the  State 
of  Alabama,"  replied  Percy.  "  By  the  great 
palmetto !  you  are  Colonel  Passford's  brother ; 
and  I  think  3^011  must  know  Miss  Florence 
Passford,  who  has  been  staying  all  winter  with 
her  uncle." 

"She  is  my  daughter,"  replied  the  owner  with 
some  emotion,  which  he  could  not  wholly  conceal 
when  he  thought  of  his  mission  in  the  South. 

"  I  have  met  her  several  times,  though  not 
often,  for  I  have  been  away  from  home  at  school. 
But  my  brother,  Major  Lindley  Pierson,  I  learn 
from  my  letters,  is  a  frequent  visitor  at  your 
brother's  house ;  and  they  even  say  "  — 

But  Percy  did  not  repeat  what  they  said, 
though  he  had  gone  far  enough  to  give  the  father 
of  Florry  something  like  a  shock. 

"  What  were  you  about  to  say,  Mr.  Percy  ? " 
he  asked. 

"  I  think  I  had  better  not  say  it,  for  it  may 
have  been  a  mere  idle  rumor,"  answered  Percy, 
who  was  now  beginning  to  disclose  some  of  his 
better  traits  of  character. 


90  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

"  Does  it  relate  to  my  daughter,  sir  ?  "  asked 
the  captain  rather  sternly ;  for,  in  the  present 
condition  of  the  country,  he  was  more  than 
ordinarily  anxious  about  his  daughter. 

"  I  ought  not  to  have  said  any  thing,  sir ;  but 
what  I  was  about  to  say,  but  did  not  say,  does 
relate  to  Miss  Florence,"  replied  Percy,  not  a  little 
embarrassed  by  the  situation.  "  But  I  assure  you, 
sir,  that  it  was  nothing  that  reflects  in  the  slightest 
degree  upon  her.  As  I  have  said  so  much,  I  may 
as  well  say  the  rest  of  it,  or  you  will  think  more 
than  was  intended  was  meant." 

"  That  is  the  proper  view  to  take  of  it,  Mr. 
Percy." 

"It  was  simply  said  that  my  brother  Lindley 
was  strongly  attracted  to  your  brother's  house 
by  the  presence  of  your  daughter.     That  is  all." 

But  the  fond  father  was  very  anxious.  Of 
course  the  major  was  a  Confederate. 


A  DISCONSOLATE  PURCHASER  OF  VESSELS       91 


CHAPTER    VIII 

A   DISCONSOLATE   PURCHASER    OF    VESSELS 

The  information  in  regard  to  Florry  was 
very  meagre  and  very  indefinite.  She  was  a  very 
beautiful  young  lady  of  eighteen ;  and  it  was  not 
at  all  strange  that  a  young  Confederate  officer 
should  be  attracted  to  her,  though  the  thought 
of  it  was  exceedingly  disagreeable  to  her  father, 
under  present  circumstances. 

Percy  evidently  was  not  satisfied  with  the 
situation ;  and  after  he  had  given  the  information 
which  had  so  disturbed  the  owner  of  the  steamer, 
he  desired  to  change  the  subject  of  the  conversa- 
tion, to  which  Captain  Passford  only  assented 
after  he  realized  that  nothing  could  be  ascertained 
from  him  in  regard  to  his  daughter. 

"  I  don't  think  I  quite  understand  the  situation 
on  board  of  this  steamer,"  said  Percy,  when  he 
had  told  all  he  knew  about  the  visits  of  his 
brother  at  Glenfield. 


92  TAKEN  BY   THE   ENEMY 

"What  further  do  you  desire  to  know  in 
regard  to  her  ?  "  asked  Captain  Passford ;  for  the 
commander,  when  he  saw  that  there  was  a  family 
matter  involved  in  the  conversation,  was  disposed 
to  be  very  reticent. 

"  I  did  not  come  on  board  of  this  vessel  in  the 
manner  I  did  —  I  do  not  even  know  her  name 
yet,"  continued  Percy;  and  when  he  found  that 
he  was  talking  to  a  brother  of  Colonel  Passford,  he 
dropped  all  his  rather  magnificent  airs,  and  became 
quite  sensible. 

"  The  steamer  is  called  the  Bellevite,"  replied 
the  owner. 

"  The  Bellevite.  It  is  an  odd  name,  but  I  think 
I  can  remember  it.  I  was  about  to  say  that  I  did 
not  come  on  board  of  her,  as  I  did,  without  an 
object ;  for  I  assure  you  that  I  am  high-toned 
enough  not  to  do  any  thing  in  an  irregular  manner 
unless  for  the  most  weighty  reasons,"  said  Percy, 
with  an  anxious  look  directed  towards  the  island, 
which  was  now  almost  out  of  sight. 

"I  do  not  ask  your  reasons;  but,  if -you  wish  to 
give  them,  I  will  hear  all  you  have  to  say,  Mr. 
Percy,"  replied  the  owner. 

"I   talked   with    Mr.    Pierson    on    shore;    and 


A  DISCONSOLATE  PURCHASER  OF  VESSELS      93 

though  he  was  disposed  at  first  to  chaff  me,  and 
avoid  giving  me  any  information  in  regard  to  this 
steamer,  he  afterwards  informed  me  that  the 
gentleman  who  owned  her  intended  to  get  rid  of 
her  as  soon  as  he  could." 

"And  you  came  on  board  for  the  purpose  of 
buying  her  ?  "  suggested  Captain  Passford. 

"  I  did  not  expect  to  buy  her  myself,  of  course  ; 
but  my  father  is  exceedingly  anxious  to  obtain  a 
steamer  like  this  one,  and  he  asked  me  to  do  what 
I  could  to  obtain  any  information  in  regard  to 
her.  That  was  the  object  which  brought  me  on 
board  of  her  in  a  clandestine  manner." 

"  You  were  very  zealous  in  meeting  the  wishes 
of  your  father." 

"  More  than  that,  I  was  at  work  in  a  good  cause ; 
and  I  think  I  have  patriotism  enough  to  do  my 
duty  to  my  country  in  the  hour  of  her  need," 
added  the  young  man,  with  a  swell  of  the  chest. 

"After  his  family,  a  man's  first  duty  is  to  his 
country,"  said  the  owner. 

"I  wanted  to  go. into  the  army,  for  I  am  eighteen 
years  old ;  but  my  father  insisted  that  I  could  be 
of  more  service  to  the  Confederacy  as  his  assistant 
in  obtaining  vessels  for  its  use." 


94  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  I  understand  your  motives." 

"  From  what  1  learned  from  Mr.  Pierson,  — 
though  I  do  not  yet  know  who  or  what  he  is," 
said  Percy,  bestowing  a  smiling  glance  upon 
Christy. 

"  You  may  look  upon  him  as  my  nephew," 
added  Captain  Passford,  glancing  at  his  son,  who 
gave  a  slight  bow  for  the  benefit  of  the  guest  on 
board. 

"  From  what  I  could  learn  from  your  nephew, 
sir,  I  concluded  that  this  steamer  could  be  bought, 
if  I  could  only  obtain  an  interview  with  the 
owner,"  continued  Percy,  with  an  inquiring  glance 
at  all  who  were  present.  "  I  understand  you  are 
the  owner  of  the  vessel,  Captain  Passford." 

"  You  are  quite  right :  she  has  been  my  yacht 
since  she  was  built,  and  a  stronger  and  more  able 
vessel  was  never  put  into  the  water." 

"  Mr.  Pierson  gave  me  to  understand  that  he 
was  in  sympathy  with  the  Confederacy  ;  and  since 
I  came  on  board,  and  learned  that  you  were  a 
brother  of  our  nearest  neighbor,  I  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  arriving  at  the  conclusion  that  you  are  'a 
devoted  friend  of  the  Southern  cause." 

"  What  I  am,  for  the  present,  I  do  not  feel  at 


A  DISCONSOLATE  PURCHASER  OF  VESSELS       95 

liberty  to  say,"  replied  Captain  Passford,  who 
was  certainly  reluctant  to  play  a  double  part 
before  the  young  man,  though  he  felt  that  the 
necessities  of  the  occasion  required  him  to  do 
so. 

"  Quite  right,  sir ;  one  cannot  be  too  cautious  in 
these  times.  But  it  is  time  for  me  to  say  that  I 
did  not  intend  to  take  passage  in  the  Bellevite, 
and  I  am  sure  my  father  will  be  very  anxious  in 
my  absence." 

"May  I  ask  how  you  did  intend  to  proceed?" 

"  I  can  hardly  tell  myself,  sir ;  but  my  object 
was  to  see  the  owner  as  soon  as  I  could  discover 
who  he  was.  But  I  have  found  you  now,  Captain 
Passford,  and  I  am  glad  to  find  in  you  a  friend  of 
our  holy  cause." 

The  owner  only  bowed ;  and  it  was  as  true  as  it 
could  be  that  the  representative  of  the  intended 
purchaser  of  vessels  jumped  at  nearly  all  of  his 
conclusions,  giving  the  captain  but  little  occasion 
to  say  any  thing  that  was  not  literally  true ;  though 
the  deception  was  just  as  real  as  though  it  had 
been  carried  on  with  actual  falsehood. 

"  May  I  ask  you  for  a  few  minutes  in  private, 
Captain  Passford?"  continued  Percy. 


96  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY. 

"Certainly;"  and  the  owner  retired  with  him 
to  the  weather-rail. 

"  I  have  seen  this  vessel,  and  I  have  heard  what 
you  say  of  her.  Now  I  am  better  informed  in 
regard  to  her  than  my  father  is.  I  am  not  author- 
ized to  name  a  price,  but  I  am  very  sure  that  he 
will  buy  her." 

"  So  he  said  to  me  himself,  Mr.  Percy,"  added 
the  owner  with  a  smile. 

"  He  said  so  to  you,  sir  !  "  exclaimed  the  young 
man,  starting  back;  for  he  believed  that  he  had 
accomplished  all  that  had  been  done  towards 
buying  the  vessel. 

**  I  had  an  interview  with  him,  and  stated  most 
explicitly  that  the  Bellevite  could  not  be  purchased 
by  any  person  at  any  price ;  and  when  I  hinted 
very  guardedly  to  him,  as  I  do  to  you,  in  the 
strictest  confidence,  that  I  am  bound  for  Mobile 
Bay,  he  did  not  urge  the  matter.  He  was  satisfied 
that  the  steamer  was  to  be  used  in  a  good  cause ; 
and  I  can  give  you  the  same  assurance,  Mr. 
Percy." 

The  young  man  looked  positively  humble  after 
he  had  listened  to  the  remark  of  the  owner,  for 
he  felt  that  his  father  had  "  taken  all  the  wind  out 


A  DISCONSOLATE  PURCHASER  OF  VESSELS       97 

of  his  sails."  He  looked  in  the  direction  of  the 
receding  island  of  Nassau,  and  realized  that  he 
had  been  wasting  his  time,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
wasted  strategy  he  had  bestowed  on  his  enterprise. 

"  You  have  stated  that  you  are  bound  for 
Mobile  Bay,  sir,"  said  he.  "  That  is  a  long 
distance  from  New  Providence,  as  I  have  learned 
from  experience." 

"  But  this  trip  will  give  you  the  satisfaction  of 
being  restored  to  your  own  home  in  a  very  short 
time,  for  there  is  no  faster  vessel  afloat  than  the 
Bellevite,"  added  Captain  Passford. 

"  It  will  put  me  into  the  army,"  said  Mr.  Percy ; 
but  he  felt  at  once  that  he  had  made  a  slip  of  the 
tongue,  and  he  hastened  to  correct  the  effect  of 
his  involuntary  speech.  "  Of  course,  T  wanted  to 
go  into  the  army  of  my  country,  as  every  patriotic 
fellow  in  the  South  does ;  but  my  father  objects 
simply  because  I  can  be  of  more  service  to  the 
good  cause  in  another  field  of  action,  and  I  had 
to  yield  the  point." 

The  owner  thought  he  had  not  been  guilty  of  a 
very  savage  yielding  of  his  own  inclination,  but 
he  said  nothing.  He  was  evidently  the  youngest 
child  of  the  family,  and  doubtless  the  pet  of  his 


98  TAKEN  BY  THE   ENEMY 

parents;  and  it  was  hard  for  them  to  put  him  in  a 
position  to  be  shot,  or  to  endure  the  hardships  of 
the  camp. 

"  I  see  now  that  my  mission  is  a  failure,  though 
with  no  detriment  to  the  good  cause.  I  wish  I 
was  in  New  Providence  again,"  continued  Mr. 
Percy,  looking  very  much  discontented  with 
himself. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  did  not  speak  to  me  on  shore 
as  your  father  did,  and  that  would  have  saved  you 
from  all  annoyance." 

"  But  I  must  beg  you  to  do  me  the  favor  to  put 
me  ashore  again,  for  my  father  will  suffer  untold 
agonies  when  he  misses  me  to-night." 

"  Put  you  on  shore  !  "  exclaimed  Captain  Pass- 
ford.  "  You  are  a  sensible  and  reasonable  young 
gentleman,  and  you  will  readily  see  that  this  is 
quite  impossible." 

"  We  have  not  been  out  above  two  hours,  sir," 
suggested  Percy. 

"  But  we  have  made  thirty-six  miles,  at  least,  in 
that  time ;  and  to  return  would  delay  me  about 
four  or  five  hours,  —  long  enough,  perhaps,  to 
defeat  the  object  of  my  voyage.  I  assure  you  that 
it  is  wholly  impossible  for  us  to  return." 


A  DISCONSOLATE  PURCHASER  OF   VESSELS       99 

"  Do  you  think  so,  sir  ?  "  asked  the  enterprising 
purchaser  of  vessels,  looking  very  disconsolate 
indeed. 

"I  not  only  think  so,  but  I  am  perfectly  sure 
on  this  point.  You  can  see  for  yourself  that  I 
cannot  sacrifice  the  object  of  my  voyage  —  for  the 
vessel  has  a  special  mission  at  her  destination — by 
a  delay  of  some  hours.  I  am  not  responsible  for 
your  being  on  board,  and  I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot 
do  any  thing  for  you." 

"  But  you  can  put  me  ashore  at  Key  West,  and 
1  may  find  some  vessel  bound  to  Nassau,"  sug- 
gested Percy,  becoming  more  and  more  disconso- 
late, as  he  realized  the  difficulties  of  his  situation, 
for  he  was  plainly  very  much  averse  to  returning 
to  his  home. 

"  But,  my  dear  Mr.  Percy,  the  Bellevite  will 
not  go  within  fifty  miles  of  Key  West ;  and  if  she 
did,  I  should  not  dare  to  put  in  there,  for  the  port 
is  a  naval  station  of  the  United  States,  and  my 
vessel  might  be  taken  from  me  in  the  absence  of 
any  regular  papers  to  explain  her  character." 
.  "I  suppose  you  are  right,"  added  Percy  gloomily. 

Captain  Passford  was  really  more  afraid  of  fall- 
ing in  with  any  naval  vessel  of  the  nation  than  of 


100  TAKEN   BY  THE   ENEMY 

meeting  any  of  the  Confederate  tugs  or  other 
vessels  which  had  been  hurriedly  fitted  out,  even 
at  this  early  period  of  the  war ;  for  he  knew  that 
his  mission,  however  justifiable  under  the  circum- 
stances, was  quite  irregular.  He  had  decided  to 
keep  at  least  fifty  miles  from  Key  West,  and  the 
usual  course  of  vessels  bound  into  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico. 

"  We  may  meet  some  vessel,  and  you  could  put 
me  on  board  of  her,"  the  disconsolate  young  man 
proposed. 

"  My  mission  compels  me  to  give  every  vessel 
a  wide  berth,  and  I  can  incur  no  risks.  But  it 
cannot  be  a  great  hardship  for  you  to  be  conveyed 
back  to  your  own  home." 

"  But  my  father  needs  me  with  him,  and  he 
will  suffer  terrible  anxiety  when  he  fails  to  find 
me.     He  will  even  think  I  am  dead." 

"  I  know  he  must  be  anxious,  but  I  think  some 
way  will  be  found  to  send  a  letter  to  him." 

"  But  I  shall  be  compelled  to  go  into  the  army, 
and  my  father  is  utterly  opposed  to  that." 

"  But  you  have  a  brother  who  is  a  major  in  the 
army,  and  I  should  say  that  he  will  be  able  to 
save  you." 


A  DISCONSOLATE  PURCHASE  R  OF  VESSELS      101 

"  My  brother  is  the  one  who  insists  that  I  shall 
go  into  one  of  the  regiments  forming  in  the  State. 
He  called  me  a  coward  because  I  yielded  to  my 
father  and  mother." 

"  All  that  is  your  own  family  affair,  and  I  am 
sorry  that  I  can  do  nothing  for  you,  Mr.  Percy.  — 
Mr.  Watts,"  he  called  to  the  chief  steward,  who 
was  planking  the  lee-side  of  the  deck. 

"  Here,  sir,"  replied  the  official. 

"  Give  Mr.  Percy  the  best  stateroom  available, 
and  see  that  he  is  made  as  comfortable  and  happy 
as  possible,"  added  the  owner. 

The  involuntary  guest  on  board  was  conducted 
to  the  cabin. 


102  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER  IX 

CHRISTY  MATURES  A  PROMISING   SCHEME 

However  interesting  the  voyage  of  the  Belle- 
vite  might  prove  to  be,  the  purpose  of  this  story 
does  not  admit  of  its  details.  Mr.  Vapoor  was 
instructed  to  the  effect  that  a  quick  run  was 
desirable,  and  he  governed  himself  accordingly. 
At  daylight  on  a  bright  May  morning,  the  lofty 
light  tower  of  Sand  Island,  off  the  entrance  to 
Mobile  Bay,  was  reported  by  the  lookout,  and  the 
captain  was  called. 

On  the  passage  from  Nassau,  the  guns  of  the 
steamer  had  been  mounted  ;  for,  as  a  measure  of 
prudence,  they  had  been  put  in  the  hold.  Though 
the  owner  hoped  to  avoid  any  close  scrutiny  of 
his  outfit,  and  had  succeeded  in  doing  so,  he  was 
not  inclined  to  tempt  fate  by  any  carelessness. 
But  when  the  first  watch  was  called,  the  night 


CHRISTY  MATURES  A  SCHEME  103 

before  her  arrival  off  the  bay,  every  thing  was  in 
condition  for  active  service. 

Captain  Passford  had  not  a  particle  of  the  foam 
generated  by  the  excitement  of  the  times,  and  he 
sincerely  hoped  he  should  have  no  occasion  to  use 
the  guns  which  it  had  cost  him  so  much  trouble 
to  procure.  Fort  Morgan  was  on  one  side  of  the 
entrance  to  the  bay,  and  Fort  Gaines  on  the  other 
side. 

He  had  seen  a  paragraph  in  one  of  his  papers, 
to  the  effect  that  one  or  both  of  these  works 
had  been  garrisoned  by  Confederate  troops,  and 
it  was  not  likely  to  be  an  easy  matter  to  get 
into  the  bay.  As  it  looked  to  the  owner  and 
the  commander,  the  only  way  to  accomplish  this 
feat  was  by  running  the  gauntlet  of  both  forts, 
which  were  just  three  nautical  miles  apart. 

A  shot  from  either  of  them  might  go  through 
the  boiler  or  engine  of  the  Bellevite,  which  would 
render  her  utterly  helpless,  and  subject  all  on 
board  to  the  fate  of  prisoners-of-war.  It  looked 
like  a  terrible  alternative  to  the  owner,  so  over- 
burdened with  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  his 
daughter ;  but  he  was  prepared  to  run  even  this 
risk  for  her  sake. 


104  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

The  method  of  getting  into  the  bay  had  been 
fully  considered  by  the  owner  and  the  captain  ; 
and  as  soon  as  the  latter  came  on  deck,  he  ordered 
the  course  of  the  vessel  to  be  changed  to  the 
westward,  as  they  had  decided  to  enter  the  b;iy 
by  the  Middle  Channel.  For  the  danger  from 
Fort  Gaines  was  believed  to  be  less  than  that  from 
Fort  Morgan,  though  either  of  them  doubtless 
had  the  means  of  sinking  the  steamer  with  a 
single  shot. 

The  water  was  shoal  in  the  Middle  Channel, 
and  it  was  not  prudent  to  attempt  to  go  into  the 
bay  at  any  other  time  than  high  tide  ;  though 
Captain  Breaker  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  channel,  having  once  been  engaged  in  a 
survey  of  the  shifting  shoals  in  this  locality,  and 
he  had  once  before  taken  the  Bellevite  by  this 
passage  on  a  trip  to  New  Orleans. 

As  he  could  not  foresee  the  time  of  the 
steamer's  arrival  off  the  bay,  he  was  obliged  to 
consult  his  almanac,  and  make  his  calculations  in 
regard  to  the  tide,  which  rises  and  falls  less  than 
three  feet  at  this  point.  It  would  not  be  safe  to 
attempt  the  passage  before  nine  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon, and  he  headed  the  vessel  away  from  the  land. 


CHRISTY  MATURES  A  SCHEME  105 

Percy  had  tried  to  make  the  best  of  his 
situation,  annoying  as  it  was ;  and  Christy 
amused  him  with  more  Chinese  reminiscences. 
Both  of  them  came  on  deck  at  an  unusually 
early  hour  on  the  morning  that  the  Sand  Island 
light  was  made  out ;  for  there  was  more  commo- 
tion than  usual  on  board,  and  even  in  the  cabin, 
where  the  owner  and  commander  discussed  the 
situation. 

"  Here  we  are,  my  Chinese  friend,"  said  Percy, 
as  he  joined  Christy  on  deck,  and  made  out  the 
tall  tower  in  the  distance.  "  I  wish  I  was  on 
the  Island  of  Nassau,  instead  of  here." 

"Why,  Mr.  Percy,  this  is  your  own,  your 
native  land;  and  in  China  we  always  used  to 
have  a  warm  affection  for  our  own  country," 
replied  Christy. 

"  You  didn't  have  to  go  into  the  army  there," 
said  Percy  with  a  sigh. 

"  But  don't  you  want  to  go  into  the  army  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  do  ;  that  is  the  dearest  wish  of 
my  heart.  But  my  father  would  not  let  me,  and 
what  could  I  do  ?  " 

"If  you  were  bent  on  it,  like  a  patriot,  as  you 
must  be,  you  could  run  away  and  enlist.     I  don't 


106  TAKEN   BY    THE   ENEMY 

know  but  I  shall  do  that  when  I  get  back  to 
China." 

"  I  don't  like  to  do  any  thing  to  make  my  poor 
father  unhappy.  I  am  afraid  my  absence  now, 
without  his  knowing  where  I  am,  or  whether  I 
am  dead  or  alive,  will  bring  on  a  fit  of  sick- 
ness." 

"  But  I  am  sure  he  would  be  very  proud  of  you 
if  you  should  run  away  and  join  the  army." 

"  Perhaps  he  would ;  but  I  should  not  feel 
very  proud  of  myself  if  I  did  a  thing  like  that. 
I  am  only  afraid  I  shall  meet  my  brother,  Major 
Pierson,  and  that  he  will  make  me  go  into  some 
regiment  against  the  wishes  of  my  father  and 
mother.  He  is  not  willing  to  hear  a  word  from 
either  of  them,"  replied  Percy,  disgusted  with 
the  prospect  before  him. 

"  He  is  very  patriotic,"  suggested  Christy. 

"He  is  altogether  too  patriotic  for  me.  But 
don't  misunderstand  me :  I  am  really  very  anxious 
to  go  into  the  army,  and  fight  the  enemies  of  my 
country." 

"  I  see  that  you  are,  and  perhaps  you  and  I 
had  better  run  away  and  enlist." 

"My   conscience   would   not  let    me    do    that 


CHRISTY  MATURES   A  SCHEME  107 

contrary  to  the  wishes  of  my  parents,"  replied 
Percy,  shaking  his  head  vigorously. 

"But  you  may  not  see  your  brother  the  major; 
for  probably  he  has  been  ordered  away  with  his 
regiment  before  this  time,"  said  his  companion 
in  comforting  tones,  though  he  was  not  as  sincere 
as  he  generally  was. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  shall ;  and  I  fear,  that,  in  the 
absence  of  my  father,  he  would  put  me  into 
the  ranks  in  spite  of  all  I  could  do." 

"  But  your  mother  is  at  home." 

"Lindley  don't  care  a  rush  for  what  she  says 
in  this  matter,  for  he  insists  that  a  boy  of  eighteen 
ought  not  to  be  tied  to  his  mother's  apron-strings 
when  his  country  needs  his  services.  I  may  see 
my  brother  before  we  get  fairly  into  the  bay." 

"  Where  in  the  world  are  you  going  to  see 
him  before  you  get  on  shore  ? "  asked  Christy, 
becoming  more  interested  in  the  conversation. 

"I  believe  he  is  in  command  of  the  garrison 
at  Fort  Gaines,  though  I  am  not  sure,"  replied 
Percy,  suddenly  looking  more  disconsolate  than 
ever  at  the  prospect  of  meeting  his  patriotic 
brother. 

"  What  makes  you  think  he  is  ?  "  asked  Christy, 


108  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

with  the  feeling  that  he  might  be  on  the  point  of 
obtaining  some  useful  information. 

"  They  talked  of  sending  him  there  before 
father  and  I  left  for  New  Providence." 

"  I  supposed  your  brother  was  a  young  fellow 
like  yourself." 

"  I  believe  he  is  twenty-six  years  old ;  but  he 
has  been  two  years  in  a  military  school  in  North 
Carolina,  and  they  say  he  is  a  good  soldier,  and 
knows  all  about  guns  and  forts  and  such  things." 

"Where  do  you  think  we  are  likely  to  overhaul 
him?" 

"I  don't  know  much  about  this  business;  but 
don't  a  boat  have  to  come  out  from  the  fort  and 
see  that  this  vessel  is  all  right  before  she  can  go 
into  the  bay?"  asked  Percy. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  We  may  run  into 
the  bay  without  waiting  for  any  boat." 

"  Then  they  fire  on  you  from  the  fort,"  suggested 
the  disconsolate. 

"We  rather  expect  that,"  added  Christy  quietly. 

"You  do?" 

"  Of  course,  a  shot  from  the  fort  may  blow  us 
out  of  the  water ;  but  we  can't  help  that,  and  we 
must  take  our  chances  of  being  hit." 


CHRISTY  MATURES   A  SCHEME  109 

"But  that  is  terribly  risky  business,  and  the 
whole  of  us  may  be  killed  before  we  get  by 
the  fort." 

"  Of  course  :  that  may  be  the  case  ;  but  we  have 
no  papers,  and  we  have  to  take  things  as  they 
come." 

"  It  isn't  pleasant  to  take  cannon-balls  as  they 
come,  for  they  are  apt  to  hit  hard.  But  they  won't 
fire  at  us  if  a  boat  comes  off  to  examine  the 
vessel." 

"  But  in  that  case  you  will  have  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  your  brother  the  major." 

'■  And  whatever  he  may  do  with  the  steamer, 
he  will  take  me  to  the  fort  with  him,  and  put  me 
into  the  ranks." 

"  Perhaps  we  can  save  you  from  such  a  fate  in 
some  way,"  suggested  Christy,  who  was  already 
doing  some  heavy  thinking  on  his  own  account. 

"  I  wish  you  would  !  "  exclaimed  Percy,  catching 
at  the  straw  held  out  to  him. 

"  There  is  time  enough,  and  I  will  see  you 
again,"  added  Christy,  as  he  joined  his  father  on 
the  forecastle,  where  he  was  taking  a  survey. 

The  owner's  son  had  an  idea,  and  he  thought 
it  was  a  good  one.     Without  losing  any  time,  he 


110  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

laid  it  before  his  father,  explaining  it  in  detail. 
He  was  even  ready  to  remove  objections  to  the 
scheme,  and  was  confident  that  it  would  succeed. 
Captain  Passford  called  the  commander,  and 
informed  him  what  his  son  had  suggested.  Cap- 
tain Breaker  heartily  approved  it ;  for,  if  it  failed, 
it  would  leave  the  steamer  in  no  worse  position 
than  before,  with  all  her  chances  of  running  the 
gauntlet  successfully  still  open  to  her. 

Christy  was  the  best  person  on  board  to  manage 
the  details,  for  he  was  the  most  intimate  with  the 
son  of  the  purchaser  of  vessels.  He  returned  to 
that  part  of  the  deck  where  he  had  left  his 
companion.  He  found  that  Percy  was  very 
anxious  to  see  him  again,  for  he  had  founded  a 
hope  on  what  had  been  said  before. 

"  I  think  we  can  manage  it,  Mr.  Percy,  if  you 
will  do  just  what  you  are  told  to  do,"  Christy 
began. 

"I  will  do  all  that  to  the  letter,"  protested 
Percy  ;  and  a  smile  actually  lighted  up  his  face 
at  the  prospect  of  escaping  the  fate  to  which  his 
father  and  mother  objected  so  strongly. 

"  You  see  the  trouble  with  the  Bellevite  is  that 
she  has  no  papers;   not  even  a  letter  from  the 


CHRISTY  MATURES  A  SCHEME  111 

Confederate  agent  who  is  picking  up  vessels  for 
the  navy.  But  I  think  we  can  manage  it  if  you 
will  learn  your  part  correctly." 

"  I  will  do  that.  Do  you  think  you  can  really 
keep  my  brother  from  taking  me  to  the  fort?" 
asked  Percy,  his  tones  and  manner  burdened  with 
anxiety. 

"  I  feel  almost  sure  of  it." 

"  Good  for  you  !  " 

'-'  You  must  go  into  the  cabin  now  with  me. 
They  are  just  starting  up  the  steamer  again,  and 
she  will  soon  reach  the  channel  where  she  is 
going  into  the  bay." 

The  owner  and  the  commander  were  busy  in 
instructing  the  ship's  company  in  regard  to  what 
would  be  expected  of  them  as  soon  as  the  Bellevite 
was  in  motion  again.  All  the  men  spoken  to 
smiled  as  they  heard  what  was  said  to  them, 
and  they  evidently  regarded  the  whole  affair  as 
a  decided  pleasantry.  But  they  all  promised  to 
be  very  discreet,  and  to  say  only  what  they  had 
been  told  to  say  if  they  were  called  on  for  any 
information  by  Confederate  officials. 

In  the  mean  time  Christy  was  very  busy  with 
his   pupil,   who    entered   heartily   into    the    plan 


112  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

which  promised  to  save  him  from  shouldering  a 
musket  in  one  of  the  companies  of  his  brother's 
regiment.  He  had  been  quite  enthusiastic  from 
the  first ;  and,  as  he  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
result  of  the  adventure,  he  was  a  very  apt  pupil. 

As  the  Bellevite  approached  the  Middle  Channel, 
a  tug-boat  was  discovered  off  Fort  Gaines,  which 
immediately  began  to  move  towards  the  approach- 
ing steamer.  Examined  with  the  glass,  a  heavy 
gun  was  seen  on  her  forecastle. 


ATTEMPT  TO  PASS  INTO  MOBILE  BAY      113 


CHAPTER   X 

THE  ATTEMPT  TO   PASS   INTO  MOBILE  BAY 

The  tug  appeared  to  be  one  of  the  craft  which 
had  been  hastily  prepared  for  service,  and  she 
did  not  look  like  a  formidable  vessel.  Captain 
Breaker  was  sure  he  could  blow  her  out  of  the 
water  with  his  heavy  guns,  on  an  emergency; 
but  this  would  be  bad  policy,  and  he  did  not 
propose  to  do  any  thing  of  this  kind. 

He  was  not  as  confident  as  Captain  Passford 
and  his  son  were  that  the  plan  adopted  would  be 
an  entire  success,  with  the  assistance  of  Percy ; 
but  there  could  be  no  harm  in  trying  it.  He 
intended  to  pass  as  near  Fort  Gaines  as  possible, 
for  it  was  not  probable  that  the  works  were  yet  in 
the  best  condition ;  and  two  miles  from  Fort 
Morgan,  which  was  doubtless  much  stronger, 
would  afford  a  better  chance  of  escaping  any 
shots  fired  from  it. 


114  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

As  the  Bellevite  approached  the  channel,  where 
there  could  not  be  more  than  a  foot  of  water 
under  her  keel,  Christie  came  on  deck,  followed 
by  Percy.  The  latter  wore  a  sort  of  naval  uni- 
form, which  his  instructor  had  borrowed  for  him 
from  his  own  stock.  It  fitted  him  well ;  for  he 
was  no  larger  than  the  owner's  son,  though  he  was 
two  years  older. 

Percy  was  to  be  on  duty,  on  board  of  the 
steamer,  as  a  Confederate  agent  taking  the  vessel 
into  the  bay  for  service.  He  was  not  a  little 
inflated  by  the  position  which  had  been  assigned 
to  him,  though  he  had  no  powers  whatever,  except 
in  appearance.  He  had  been  instructed  to  con- 
duct himself  boldly,  and  to  insist  that  the  vessel 
was  in  his  charge,  when  she  was  boarded  by  officers 
from  the  tug  or  from  the  fort.  His  very  nature 
inclined  him  to  play  this  part  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. 

The  blockade  had  been  established  at  some  of 
the  northern  ports  of  the  seceded  States,  but  not 
yet  at  the  cities  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  and  the 
only  real  obstacle  to  the  passage  of  the  Bellevite 
into  the  bay  consisted  of  the  two  forts,  for  the 
tug-boats  were  not  regarded  as  of  any  consequence 


ATTEMPT  TO  PASS  INTO  MOBILE  BAY      115 

to  an  armed  steamer  of  great  speed  like  the 
Bellevite. 

"We  are  approaching  the  shoal  water  now," 
said  Captain  Breaker  to  Mr.  Vapoor,  as  the 
steamer  came  near  the  south-eastern  end  of  Pelican 
Island.  "  We  may  take  the  ground,  for  the  shoals 
have  an  ugly  trick  of  changing  their  position. 
Let  her  go  at  about  half  speed." 

"  Half  speed,  sir,"  replied  the  chief  engineer, 
as  he  descended  to  the  engine-room. 

"  Is  it  fully  high  tide  now,  Breaker  ? "  asked 
Captain  Passford,  who  was  watching  the  move- 
ments of  the  vessel  with  the  most  intense  interest, 
for  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  critical  moment  in 
his  enterprise  had  come. 

"  Not  quite ;  it  will  not  be  full  sea  for  about 
half  an  hour,"  replied  the  commander.  "  If  we 
take  the  ground,  we  shall  have  some  small  chance 
of  getting  off.  —  Mr.  Dashington." 

"  On  duty,  sir,"  responded  the  first  officer. 

"Beeks  has  the  wheel,  I  believe  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  and  Thayer  is  with  him." 

"  They  are  both  reliable  men ;  but  I  wish  you 
would  stand  by  the  helm,  and  see  that  the  steamer 
is   headed   directly   towards   the   eastern    end   of 


116  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Dauphine  Island.  That  will  give  us  the  deepest 
water  till  we  get  to  the  spit.  Have  a  man  in  the 
port  and  starboard  chains  with  directions  to  sound 
as  fast  as  possible." 

"Mr.  Blowitt,"  called  the  first  officer,  "let  a 
hand  sound  in  the  port  and  starboard  chains,  and 
look  out  for  it  yourself,  if  you  please." 

The  second  officer  went  forward  and  the  first 
officer  aft,  each  to  perform  the  duties  assigned  to 
him  by  the  captain.  The  speed  of  the  Bellevite 
had  been  reduced,  and  she  was  going  along  at  a 
very  easy  rate.  The  tug  was  some  distance 
beyond  Fort  Gaines  when  she  was  first  seen,  and 
she  seemed  to  be  incapable  of  making  more  than 
six  knots  an  hour. 

The  steamer  had  taken  on  board  all  the  coal  it 
was  possible  for  her  to  stow  away  in  her  bunkers, 
and  a  large  supply  had  been  put  into  the  hold ; 
but  she  had  used  a  considerable  portion  of  it  in 
her  rapid  passage,  though  she  had  still  an  abundant 
supply  for  her  return  voyage.  The  reduction 
in  the  quantity  had  made  her  draught  somewhat 
less,  and  the  owner  and  captain  hoped  she  would 
get  through  the  channel. 

But   the   thought   had   hardly  passed   through 


ATTEMPT   TO   PASS   INTO   MOBILE   BAY      117 

their  minds  before  the  Bellevite  came  to  a  sudden 
stop,  and  her  keel  was  heard  grinding  on  the 
bottom.  Mr.  Vapoor  heard  the  sound  in  the 
engine-room,  and  felt  the  jar  ;  and  before  any  bell 
came  to  him,  he  had  stopped  the  machine,  and 
reversed  it  so  as  to  check  the  steamer's  headway. 

"  Run  her  back  with  all  the  steam  you  can 
crowd  on,  Mr.  Vapoor,"  said  Captain  Breaker, 
as  he  hastened  to  the  door  of  the  engine-room. 

"I  don't  think  she  hit  the  ground  very  hard, 
captain,"  added  the  chief  engineer. 

"  No ;  she  will  come  off.  The  ground  has 
shifted  since  I  was  here  last,"  said  the  captain 
of  the  vessel. 

But  it  was  half  an  hour  before  she  yielded  to 
the  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  her,  and  then 
only  because  a  few  inches  had  been  added  by 
the  tide  to  the  depth  of  water.  She  went  back, 
and  came  into  depth  enough  to  give  her  a  foot 
under  her  keel. 

"  It  don't  look  very  hopeful,"  said  Captain 
Passford,  as  he  joined  the  commander  at  the 
door  of  the  engine-room. 

"  Oh,  I  think  we  shall  be  all  right  now ! " 
replied    Captain    Breaker    very   cheerfully.      "I 


118  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

have  found  where  the  shoal  is  now,  and  I  know 
where  to  find  deeper  water.  —  Keep  her  going 
astern,  Mr.  Vapoor." 

"A  boat  from  the  fort,  sir,"  reported  a  messenger, 
who  had  been  sent  aft  by  the  second  officer  on 
the  forecastle. 

"  That  looks  like  an  inquiry  into  our  business 
here,"  added  the  owner. 

"  Now  we  are  all  right,"  said  the  commander, 
who  was  watching  the  position  of  the  vessel  very 
carefully.  "I  must  go  to  the  wheel,  and  look 
out  for  the  course  myself." 

Again  the  Bellevite  went  ahead ;  and  she  soon 
reached  a  point  half  way  between  the  two  forts, 
and  her  speed  was  reduced  to  not  more  than 
three  knots.  But  the  tug  was  approaching,  and 
the  worst  part  of  the  channel  was  still  to  be 
attempted.  The  two  men  in  the  chains  reported 
the  depth  as  rapidly  as  they  could  heave  the 
lead,  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  the  steamer 
could  not  pass  the  extensive  bar  to  the  westward 
of  the  ship-channel. 

"  Steamer  ahoy ! "  shouted  the  captain  of  the 
tug,  as  he  stopped  his  screw  within  hailing- 
distance  of  the  Bellevite. 


ATTEMPT  TO  PASS  INTO  MOBILE  BAY      119 

"  Reply  to  that  hail,  Mr.  Percy,1'  said  the 
commander  to  the  young  gentleman  in  uniform. 
"  You  must  do  all  the  talking." 

"  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  do  it,  and  I  think  I 
can  do  it  to  your  satisfaction,"  replied  Percy 
confidently. 

"  Jump  up  on  the  rail  nearest  to  the  tug, 
where  you  can  see  and  hear." 

"  I  am  not  much  of  a  sailor,  Captain  Breaker, 
and  I  don't  pretend  to  be  one,"  added  Percy. 
"  What  shall  I  say  to  the  captain  of  that  boat  ?  " 

"  On  board  of  the  tug ! "  shouted  the  agent  of 
his  father,  after  the  commander  had  instructed 
him  in  regard  to  his  speech. 

"  What  steamer  is  that  ?  "  demanded  the  master 
of  the  tug. 

Captain  Breaker  instructed  him  in  what  manner 
to  make  his  reply,  though  he  did  not  tell  him 
what  to  say.  The  young  man  was  to  explain 
the  character  of  the  vessel  as  he  understood  it ; 
and  neither  the  commander  nor  the  owner  was 
disposed  to  indulge  in  any  unnecessary  strate- 
getical  falsehood,  though  they  felt  that  they 
could  do  so  in  the  service  of  the  Union. 

"  The  Bellevite  from  Nassau,"  replied  Percy. 


120  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  Is  she  a  Federal  vessel  ?  "  inquired  the  captain 
of  the  tug  with  the  greatest  simplicity. 

"A  Federal  vessel!  "  exclaimed  Percy,  evidently 
expressing  by  his  manner  some  of  the  indignation 
he  felt.     "Do  you  mean  to  insult  me,  sir?" 

"  No,  I  do  not  mean  to  insult  you ;  but  it 
becomes  necessary  for  me  to  ascertain  something 
more  in  regard  to  the  steamer,"  returned  the 
other.     "  Where  are  you  from  ?  " 

"I  told  you  the  vessel  was  from  Nassau." 

"  But  she  don't  hail  from  Nassau.  Where  did 
she  come  from  before  that?" 

"From  Bermuda,"  answered  Percy,  as 
instructed. 

"  But  she  don't  belong  to  Bermuda." 

The  volunteer  agent  of  the  Confederate  cause 
was  not  able  to  answer  any  questions  in  this 
direction,  and  the  commander  did  not  tell  him 
what  more  to  say. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  who  is  in  command  of  Fort 
Gaines  at  the  present  time?"  demanded  Percy, 
branching  out  on  his  own  account. 

"  I  can ;  but  I  want  you  to  tell  me  something 
more  about  the  steamer,  before  I  answer  any 
questions.     Is  the  steamer  armed  ?  " 


ATTEMPT  TO  PASS  INTO  MOBILE  BAY     121 

"  She  is  armed ;  and  she  could  blow  your  tug 
into  ten  thousand  pieces  in  four  minutes  if  she 
should  open  upon  you,"  added  Percy;  and  the 
listeners  were  of  the  opinion  that  he  was  begin- 
ning to  use  strong  speech. 

"  That  may  be ;  but  with  a  fort  on  each  side  of 
you,  I  don't  think  you  will  get  into  the  bay  in 
broad  daylight,"  said  the  captain  of  the  tug. 
"  The  commander  of  Fort  Gaines  is  in  that  boat, 
and  I  suppose  he  is  coming  off  to  examine  the 
steamer.  As  you  are  not  disposed  to  answer  my 
questions,  you  can  wait  for  him  ;  but  if  you  try  to 
get  into  the  bay,  you  will  find  that  a  shot  from 
both  forts  can  reach  you." 

"  I  am  an  agent  of  the  Confederate  government, 
and  my  father  has  been  sent  to  Nassau  to  obtain 
vessels  for  our  navy,"  continued  Percy,  as  he  saw 
that  the  boat  from  the  fort  was  still  some 
distance  from  the  vessel. 

"Why  didn't  you  say  so  before?"  demanded 
the  captain  of  the  tug  rather  impatiently.  "  Of 
course  you  have  some  papers  from  the  agent  at 
Nassau,  to  show  what  the  vessel  is." 

"  Not  a  single  paper ;  he  had  no  time  to  give  me 
any." 


122  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"Who  is  the  agent?" 

The  question  was  evidently  put  as  a  test ;  for 
if  the  young  agent,  as  the  captain  could  see  that 
he  was,  gave  a  known  name,  it  would  be  some 
evidence  that  he  told  the  truth. 

"  Colonel  Richard  Pierson ;  and  he  is  my 
father." 

"  Your  father !  "  exclaimed  the  other,  evidently 
impressed  with  the  fact,  and  his  tone  was  more 
respectful. 

"  You  can  come  on  board  and  see  her  for 
yourself,"  suggested  Percy,  prompted  by  the 
commander ;  for  there  was  nothing  on  board 
to  betray  her  true  character,  the  guns  having 
been  concealed. 

"I  will  not  do  that,  as  the  commander  of  the 
fort  will  soon  be  here,  and  he  may  make  the 
examination  for  himself.  But  perhaps  you  will 
be  willing  to  give  me  your  name  ? "  added  the 
captain. 

"  My  name  is  Percy  Pierson ;  and,  as  I  told  you, 
I  am  the  son  of  Colonel  Richard  Pierson." 

"  Then  you  are  the  brother  of  Major  Pierson, 
who  is  in  command  of  Fort  Gaines.  I  think  it 
must  be  all  right. 


ATTEMPT  TO  PASS  INTO  MOBILE  BAY      123 

"Of  course  it  is  all  right.  Do  you  think  I 
would  bring  a  vessel  into  this  bay  if  she  were 
not  all  right?''  inquired  Percy  with  becoming 
indignation. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  heard  there  is  going  to  be 
a  war,  and  it  is  necessary  to  find  out  what  vessels 
go  into  the  bay,"  said  the  captain  of  the  tug, 
when  he  had  brought  his  craft  quite  near  the 
steamer.     "  That  is  a  very  fine  vessel." 

"  It  is  the  fastest  and  strongest  steamer  that 
floats,  and  she  will  give  a  good  account  of  herself 
when  the  trouble  begins  in  earnest." 

"  Here  comes  the  boat  from  the  fort,  and  I  see 
that  Major  Pierson  is  in  the  stern  sheets.  I  have 
no  doubt  he  will  find  you  all  right,"  said  the 
captain. 

The  boat  came  alongside  of  the  Bellevite,  and 
the  major  went  on  board. 


124  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE  MAJOR   IN   COMMAND   OF  FORT   GAINES 

Percy  Pierson  retained  his  position  on  the 
rail  when  his  brother  the  major  came  up  the 
gangway  steps,  which  had  been  put  over  for  him. 
As  the  latter  went  up,  he  could  not  help  seeing 
him ;  and  his  astonishment  evidently  mounted  to 
the  highest  degree,  as  manifested  in  his  expression. 
The  owner  and  the  commander  stood  near  the 
rail,  to  give  the  visitor  a  pleasant  reception. 

But  the  major  took  no  notice  of  them ;  for  his 
attention  was  plainly  absorbed  in  his  surprise  at 
seeing  his  brother,  dressed  in  uniform,  on  the  rail 
of  the  steamer.  He  halted  as  soon  as  he  had 
mounted  the  rail,  over  which  he  must  pass  to 
reach  the  deck.  He  looked  at  Percy  for  some 
time,  without  being  able  to  say  a  word,  and 
seemed  to  be  not  quite  sure  that  it  was  he. 

The  younger  brother  was  as  silent  as  the  older 


THE   MAJOK   OF  FOKT   GAINES  125 

one ;  for  he  had  had  some  rather  exciting  times 
with  him  in  the  matter  of  enlisting,  and  he  was 
not  very  confident  of  his  reception  at  the  hands 
of  the  commander  of  Fort  Gaines.  He  looked  at 
him  with  interest,  not  unminglecl  with  some 
painful  solicitude  for  the  future. 

"  Percy ! "  exclaimed  Major  Pierson  at  last, 
when  he  was  entirely  satisfied  that  the  young 
man  was  his  brother,  in  spite  of  the  uniform  of 
blue  he  wore,  though  the  gray  had  not  yet  come 
into  extensive  use. 

"  Lindley !  "  added  the  younger,  evidently  desir- 
ing to  go  no  faster  than  the  occasion  might 
require  of  him. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  back  again,"  continued 
the  major,  without  offering  to  take  his  hand. 
"You  deserted  like  a  coward,  and  I  have  been 
ashamed  of  you  ever  since.  A  young  fellow  like 
you,  eighteen  years  old,  who  will  not  fight  for  his 
country,  ought  to  lose  the  respect  of  even  his  own 
brother." 

"That  is  a  pleasant  greeting,"  replied  Percy, 
with  the  suspicion  of  a  sneer  on  his  face. 

"  It  is  all  that  a  coward  deserves,"  replied 
Lindley  severely. 


126  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"I  am  no  coward,  any  more  than  you  are," 
protested  Percy.  "  You  know  that  father  did  not 
wish  me  to  join  the  army,  though  I  wished  to  do 
so." 

"  I  know  that  you  wished  to  do  so  just  as  any 
other  coward  does,  —  over  the  left." 

"  What  could  I  do  when  father  told  me  not  to 
go  to  the  war  ?  " 

"  What  could  you  do  ?  You  could  have  gone  ! 
If  you  had  not  been  a  poltroon,  you  would  have 
joined  the  first  regiment  that  came  in  your 
way." 

"I  never  was  in  the  habit  of  disobeying  my 
father,"  pleaded  the  young  agent. 

"You  were  not?  You  ran  away  to  New 
Orleans  last  winter  when  your  father  told  you  not 
to  go.  You  came  home  from  the  academy  when 
he  told  you  to  remain  there.  You  have  spent  the 
evening  in  Mobile  when  he  told  you  not  to  go 
there.  I  could  tell  you  instances  all  day  in  which 
you  disobeyed  him,  and  mother  too,"  continued 
the  soldier  warmly. 

"  That  was  different." 

"  It  was  different ;  and  you  could  obey  your 
father  in  a  bad  cause,  but  not  in  a  good  one.     I 


THE  MAJOR  OF  FORT  GAINES  127 

am  heartily  ashamed  of  you,  and  I  don't  feel 
willing  to  own  you  as  a  brother  of  mine." 

"But  my  father  told  me  that  I  could  better 
serve  the  good  cause  by  going  with  him  than  I 
could  by  joining  the  army." 

"  And  you  were  willing  to  go  with  him,  for 
then  you  could  keep  out  of  danger.  Father  is 
getting  old,  and  he  is  not  fit  to  serve  in  the 
army ;  and  you  have  been  his  pet  since  you  were 
born.  But  that  is  no  excuse  for  you ;  and  if  I 
can  get  you  back  into  the  army,  I  mean  to  do 
so." 

Percy  was  afraid  he  might  succeed,  and  he  did 
not  feel  as  confident  as  he  had  been ;  and  he  lost, 
for  the  time,  some  of  his  self-possession.  He  was 
confronting  the  fate  he  had  dreaded  when  he 
found  the  steamer  was  leaving  Nassau. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  demanded  the 
major,  looking  down  upon  the  deck  of  the  vessel 
for  the  first  time. 

"  I  am  taking  this  steamer  into  the  bay,  where 
she  is  to  go  into  the  service  of  the  Confederate 
States,"  answered  Percy,  plucking  a  little  more 
confidence  from  the  nature  of  his  present  occupa- 
tion. 


128  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  You  are  taking  her  into  the  bay  !  "  exclaimed 
the  older  brother. 

"  That  is  what  I  said,  and  that  is  what  I  mean," 
added  Percy,  glad  to  see  that  his  mission  had 
produced  an  impression. 

"  Taking  this  steamer  into  the  bay !  "  repeated 
the  major,  evidently  unable  to  comprehend  the 
mission  of  his  brother.  "Do  you  mean  to  say 
that  you  are  taking  her  in,  Percy  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  mean  to  say,  and  do  say." 

"  Are  you  the  pilot  of  the  steamer  ?  I  should 
think  you  might  have  been,  for  she  was  aground 
just  now,"  sneered  the  commander  of  the 
fort. 

"  I  am  not  the  pilot,  and  I  don't  pretend  to  be 
a  sailor ;  but  the  steamer  is  in  my  charge,"  replied 
Percy,  elevating  his  head  to  the  need  of  the 
occasion. 

"  In  charge  of  the  steamer  !  I  would  not  trust 
a  coward  like  you  in  charge  of  a  sick  monkey," 
added  Lindley,  with  his  contempt  fully  expressed 
in  his  face. 

"  See  here,  Lindley,  I  don't  mean  to  be  insulted 
on  board  of  this  steamer  by  my  own  brother.  If 
you  can't  be  decent,  I  have  nothing  more  to  say 


THE   MAJOR  OF  FORT   GAINES  129 

to  you ! "  cried  Percy,  his  wrath  breaking  out 
quite  violently. 

"  If  you  give  me  an  impudent  word,  I  will  take 
you  into  the  boat  and  put  you  into  the  fort," 
added  the  major,  as  he  stepped  down  upon  the 
deck. 

"  No,  you  won't.  I  will  jump  overboard  before 
I  will  be  carried  to  the  fort.  I  have  done  just 
what  my  father  told  me  to  do,  to  say  nothing  of 
my  mother ;  and  I  won't  be  insulted  by  you.  It 
is  you  who  are  the  coward  and  the  poltroon,  to  do 
so,"  continued  Percy,  boiling  over  with  rage. 

Whatever  provocation  the  major  had  had  for  his 
savage  treatment  of  his  brother,  the  owner  of  the 
Bellevite  thought  his  conduct  was  unjustifiable. 
Tire  young  man  was  under  age ;  and  whether  or 
not  his  father  was  less  a  patriot  than  his  older 
son,  the  latter  was  certainly  unkind,  ungenerous, 
and  even  brutal.  Without  being  a  "  milk-and- 
water  man,"  Captain  Passford  was  full  of  kind- 
ness, courtesy,  and  justice.  He  did  not  like  the 
behavior  of  the  major  towards  his  brother. 

It  looked  like  a  family  quarrel  of  the  two 
brothers  on  board  of  the  steamer;  for  Percy  was 
evidently  "  a  weak  chicken,"  after  all,  though  he 


130  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

had  become  desperate  under  the  stings  and 
reproaches  of  the  major.  Under  present  circum- 
stances, it  did  not  appear  that  Percy  could  be  of 
any  service  on  board  of  the  Belle vite,  for  his 
brother  would  not  hear  a  word  he  said.  Captain 
Passford  directed  the  commander  to  have  every 
thing  ready  for  a  hurried  movement  at  once,  for 
there  was  but  little  hope  of  satisfying  a  man  as 
unreasonable  as  the  commander  of  the  fort  had 
proved  himself  to  be  in  his  dealing  with  his 
brother. 

The  captain  of  the  steamer  went  to  Mr.  Vapoor, 
who  was  standing  near  the  door  of  the  engine- 
room,  and  said  something  to  him,  which  soon 
produced  a  lively  effect  among  the  coal-passers 
below. 

"  I  will  attend  to  your  case  in  a  few  minutes, 
Percy,  for  I  do  not  allow  any  one  to  be  impudent 
to  me,"  growled  the  major. 

"Nor  I  either.  If  3'ou  put  a  finger  on  me,  I 
will  put  a  bullet  through  your  head,  if  3-ou  are 
my  brother ! "  yelled  Percy,  as  he  took  a  small 
revolver  from  his  hip-pocket. 

This  demonstration  increased  the  anger  of 
Lindley ;    and  he   ran   up   the   steps   to   the  rail 


THE   MAJOR   OF  FORT   GAINES  131 

again,  where  he  called  upon  two  soldiers  to  come 
on  deck.  At  the  same  moment,  Captain  Breaker, 
as  instructed  by  the  owner,  rang  the  bell  on  the 
quarter,  and  the  engine  began  to  move  again. 
Before  the  men  from  the  boat  could  leave  it,  the 
steamer  was  moving,  and  it  was  no  longer  possible 
fur  them  to  obey  the  order. 

"  What  are  you  about,  sir  ?  "  demanded  Major 
Pierson,  rushing  to  the  commander,  not  a  little 
excited  by  what  had  been  done. 

w*  I  think  this  thing  has  gone  about  far  enough, 
sir,"  replied  Captain  Breaker,  as  calmly  as  though 
there  had  not  been  a  ripple  on  the  surface  of  affairs. 

"  But  I  came  on  board  of  this  steamer  to  make 
an  examination  of  the  character  of  the  vessel," 
protested  the  major,  who  evidently  did  not  like 
the  present  aspect  of  the  situation. 

"  I  have  waited  for  you  to  do  so ;  but  I  do  not 
care  to  lose  the  tide  while  you  are  quarrelling 
with  your  brother,  sir,"  added  the  commander. 

"  But  I  order  you  to  stop,  sir ! "  continued  the 
major. 

"  What  am  I  to  do,  Mr.  Percy  ?  "  asked  Captain 
Breaker,  addressing  the  young  man  with  a 
revolver  in  his  hand. 


132  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

There  was  something  on  the  part  of  the 
commander  which  indicated  that  he  was  playing 
a  part,  as  were  all  on  board,  though  he  seemed 
to  be  a  little  amused  to  find  that  he  was  taking 
his  orders  from  a  boy  of  eighteen.  At  the  same 
time  he  nodded  his  head  slightly,  though  very 
significantly,  to  the  young  agent. 

"  Go  ahead  just  as  fast  as  you  can  make  the 
steamer  travel,  Captain  Breaker/'  said  Percy, 
with  as  much  energy  as  though  he  had  been  in 
command  of  a  Confederate  fleet. 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  Percy ;  I  shall  obey  your 
order,  as  you  have  charge  of  the  vessel,"  added 
the  commander. 

This  passage  between  the  authority  of  the 
steamer  and  his  brother  absolutely  confounded 
the  major,  and  for  a  couple  of  minutes  he  was 
unable  to  say  any  thing  at  all.  But  Captain 
Breaker,  who  was  the  only  pilot  on  board,  was 
obliged  to  leave  the  ship's  guest  in  order  to  look 
out  for  the  course  of  the  steamer. 

It  seemed  to  be  useless  to  attempt  to  get  over 
the  bar  where  he  had  tried  to  do  so ;  and 
he  directed  the  vessel  towards  the  main  ship- 
channel,  rinding  plenty  of  water  to  enable  him  to 


THE  MAJOR  OF  FORT  GAINES  133 

reach  it.  But  he  would  have  to  run  the  gauntlet 
of  Fort  Morgan,  and  the  chances  of  a  shot  were 
against  him. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  Percy  is  in  charge 
of  this  steamer,  Captain  Breaker?"  demanded 
Major  Pierson,  who  had  by  this  time  recovered 
some  portion  of  his  self-possession. 

"  That  is  what  both  he  and  I  said  to  you," 
replied  Captain  Breaker. 

"And  the  vessel  is  to  be  in  the  service  of  the 
Confederate  States,"  added  Percy,  with  more 
pluck  than  he  had  displayed  before.  "  If  my 
brother  will  not  let  her  pass  into  the  bay,  I  will 
go  on  shore  at  Fort  Morgan,  and  explain  the 
situation  to  the  officer  in  command,"  blustered 
Percy;  and  perhaps  he  would  have  done  just  as 
much  under  the  circumstances  if  he  had  known 
the  vessel  was  on  the  other  side  in  the  coming 
conflict. 

"  Where  are  your  papers,  sir?"  asked  the  major. 

"  We  have  no  papers ;  and  that  is  why  I  am 
come  in  charge  of  the  steamer,"  replied  the  agent, 
who  seemed  to  be  quite  able  to  strain  a  point 
when  necessary. 

"  We  met  Colonel  Richard  Pierson  in  Nassau, 


134  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

and  I  believe  he  is  your  father  and  Mr.  Percy's," 
answered  Captain  Breaker. 

"  He  is ;  but  I  can  hardly  understand  how  he 
happened  to  send  my  brother  home  in  charge  of 
this  fine  steamer,"  said  the  major,  glancing  at  his 
brother. 

"  Going  into  the  army  is  not  all  the  duty  a  man 
has  to  do  for  his  country,"  said  Percy  warmly. 

"May  I  ask  where  this  vessel  came  from?" 
inquired  the  commander  of  the  fort. 

"  From  New  York  before  she  went  to  Bermuda 
and  Nassau ;  before  that,  from  England,"  replied 
the  commander  evasively. 

"If  you  are  really  in  charge  of  the  steamer, 
Percy,  I  have  nothing  more  to  say,"  continued 
Major  Pierson.  "Now  may  I  ask  who  owns 
her?" 

"  Captain  Horatio  Passford,  who  stands  there  ?  " 

The  officer  in  command  of  the  fort  started 
back  as  though  he  had  received  another  surprise, 
greater  than  before. 


THE  BELLEVITE  PASSED  FORT  MORGAN     135 


CHAPTER   XII 

HOW   THE  BELLEVITE   PASSED   FORT   MORGAN 

Major  Llndley  Pierson  was  plainly  very 
much  disturbed  when  the  owner  of  the  Bellevite 
was  pointed  out  to  him  by  the  commander.  He 
had  practically  retreated  from  the  position  he  had 
taken  with  his  brother,  and  had  apparently  given 
up  the  idea  of  sending  him  to  the  fort  to  be  made 
a  soldier. 

From  the  point  which  the  steamer  had  reached, 
just  north  of  Little  Pelican  Island,  Captain 
Breaker  had  directed  Mr.  Dashington  to  head  the 
vessel  to  the  eastward,  through  Sand  Island 
Channel ;  and  she  was  now  moving  towards  the 
main  ship-channel,  which  passed  under  the  very 
guns  of  Fort  Morgan. 

The  tug  had  picked  up  the  boat  from  the  fort 
on  the  other  side  of  the  bay,  and  was  following 
the  Bellevite,  though  she  had  fallen  a  long  way 


136  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

behind  her  in  a  very  short  time.  It  was  about 
two  miles  to  the  more  formidable  fort,  and  the 
steamer  was  going  at  full  speed,  so  that  it  could 
not  be  long  before  a  shot  would  interrupt  the 
harmony  of  her  movements. 

In  the  mean  time  the  commander  of  Fort  Gaines 
was  really  a  prisoner  on  board  of  the  Belle vite, 
for  Captain  Breaker  had  started  her  screw  before 
he  could  get  any  of  his  force  on  board.  But  the 
major  was  not  half  so  much  disturbed  by  this  fact 
as  he  was  by  the  consciousness  that  he  had 
behaved  in  a  very  rude,  brutal,  and  tyrannical 
manner  in  the  presence  of  Colonel  Passford's 
brother,  who  had  thus  far  spoken  not  a  word  to 
him. 

"  Captain  Breaker,  may  I  ask  you  to  present 
me  to  the  owner  of  the  steamer  ? "  said  Major 
Pierson,  after  he  had  looked  about  him  for  a  time, 
and  perhaps  considered  how  he  should  atone  for 
his  rudeness. 

"  Certainly,  if  you  desire  it,"  replied  the  com- 
mander, who  was  as  polite  as  though  he  had  been 
brought  up  in  Paris,  though  he  was  hardly  an 
exception  to  all  naval  officers. 

"Will  you  excuse  me  if  I  say  that    you   are 


THE  BELLEVITE  PASSED  FORT  MORGAN     137 

running  at  great  speed,  sir,  and  a  shot  from  Fort 
Morgan  cannot  be  much  longer  postponed,"  added 
the  major,  as  he  glanced  at  the  fort  on  the  right. 

"  I  did  not  willingly  start  the  steamer,  sir  ;  but 
it  was  my  duty  to  protect  the  agent  in  whose 
charge  the  steamer  comes  into  port.  If  you  say 
that  he  shall  suffer  no  further  annoyance,  either  on 
your  own  part  or  that  of  your  people,  I  will  stop 
the  screw  and  wait  your  pleasure,"  said  the 
commander. 

"I  have  had  some  difficulty  with  my  brother, 
and  it  looked  incredible  to  me  that  he  had  come 
into  Mobile  Bay  in  charge  of  this  fine  vessel.  I 
apologize  to  you  and  the  owner  for  my  rudeness, 
and  assure  you  that  I  will  not  trouble  Percy  again 
while  he  remains  on  board,"  continued  Major 
Pierson,  with  no  little  embarrassment  in  his 
manner. 

"  I  accept  the  apology,  and  your  explanation  is 
entirely  sufficient.  What  happens  to  Mr.  Percy 
after  he  leaves  the  steamer  does  not  concern  me," 
answered  Captain  Breaker  with  a  polite  bow,  as 
he  went  to  the  quarter  and  rang  the  bell  to  stop 
her. 

When  he  had  done   this,  he  conducted   Major 


138  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

Pierson  to  the  quarter  -  deck,  where  Captain 
Passford  and  Christy  were  seated,  and  formally 
presented  him  to  both  of  them. 

"  I  am  most  happy  to  make  your  acquaintance, 
Captain  Passford,"  said  the  commander  of  Fort 
Gaines,  as  he  extended  his  hand  to  the  owner, 
which  was  taken,  though  the  expression  of  the 
gentleman  from  the  North  did  not  indicate  that 
he  was  very  well  pleased  with  him. 

To  Christy  he  was  as  polite  as  to  his  father, 
and  to  both  he  was  almost  obsequious.  It  was 
rather  difficult  for  father  or  son  to  realize  that 
this  was  the  man  who  had  threatened  to  send 
his  own  brother  to  the  fort  as  a  soldier,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  abusive  language  he  had  used. 

"I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  in  the  State  of 
Alabama,  Captain  Passford,  and  especially  at  this 
time,"  the  major  began ;  and  it  looked  as  though 
the  cordiality  of  his  welcome  was  to  compensate 
for  former  rudeness. 

"I  am  not  a  total  stranger  here,"  added  the 
owner  rather  coldly. 

"It  affords  me  a  degree  of  pleasure  I  cannot 
express  to  see  you  come  here,  as  events  are 
getting   big  all  around  us,  and  with  such  a  fine 


THE  BELLEVITE  PASSED  FORT  MORGAN     139 

steamer.  I  am  sure  the  Government  will  regard 
you  as  one  of  its  greatest  and  truest  benefactors," 
continued  Major  Pierson. 

"It  is  my  intention  to  serve  the  good  cause 
with  whatever  measure  of  ability  I  may  possess ; 
but  I  do  not  care  to  say  any  thing  at  all  about  my 
purpose  till  I  have  talked  with  my  brother.  I  hope 
I  shall  find  my  brother  Homer  in  full  sympathy 
with  me  in  my  views,"  added  the  owner,  though  it 
was  not  a  pleasure  to  him  even  to  deceive  an 
enemy. 

"Colonel  Passford!"  exclaimed  the  major. 
"  Have  you  any  doubt  about  him  ?  " 

"  Hardly  any,  though  I  prefer  to  talk  with  him 
before  I  say  much  on  my  own  account." 

"  Colonel  Passford  is  not  a  very  demonstrative 
man,  but  no  one  in  the  vicinity  of  Glenfield  has 
any  doubt  as  to  how  he  stands  on  the  great 
question." 

"  I  think  no  one  will  have  airy  doubt  as  to  how 
I  stand,  as  soon  as  I  take  my  position." 

"  Certainly,  sir,  you  will  give  no  doubtful 
sound." 

"  I  hope  not." 

"  I   came    on    board   to    examine    this    steamer 


140  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

before  we  permitted  her  to  pass  the  forts,'1 
continued  Major  Pierson.  "  I  find  her  in  charge 
of  my  brother,  in  the  absence  of  any  letter  from 
my  father  or  other  Confederate  agent.  I  humbly 
apologize  for  the  rudeness  of  which  I  was  guilty, 
though  I  assure  you  I  have  had  abundant  provo- 
cation for  it." 

"  That  is  a  family  affair  with  which  we  have 
nothing  to  do  beyond  the  proper  protection  of  the 
young  agent  in  charge  of  the  steamer." 

"I  wish  to  say  that  I  am  entirely  satisfied, 
Captain  Passford,  and  I  am  heartily  delighted  to 
learn  that  you  are  about  to  make  your  residence 
in  this  section  of  the  country,"  said  the  major,  who 
seemed  to  have  assured  himself  on  this  point 
without  much  assistance  from  those  most  deeply 
concerned. 

The  owner  looked  at  him,  and  tried  to  ascertain 
what  was  passing  in  his  mind ;  and  it  was  not  a 
very  difficult  enterprise  to  accomplish  his  purpose. 
The  hint  he  had  received  about  the  frequent  visits 
of  Major  Pierson  at  Grlenfield  seemed  to  explain 
the  present  operations  of  his  mind.  Florry  Pass- 
ford  was  a  beautiful  young  lady  of  eighteen,  and 
any  young  man  of  twenty-six  could  easily  have 


THE  BELLEVITE  PASSED  FORT  MORGAN     141 

been  excused  for  making  his  visits  very  often  at 
the  mansion  in  which  she  resided. 

Though  the  fond  father  was  not  disposed  to 
interfere  unnecessarily  with  the  choice  of  his 
daughter,  even  the  hint  that  she  might  be  entan- 
gled more  than  a  thousand  miles  from  her  home 
had  given  him  a  positive  shock.  Now  that  he  had 
seen  the  young  man,  and  observed  his  conduct  an 
board  of  the  Bellevite,  he  most  earnestly  hoped 
that  she  was  not  in  any  degree  committed  to  him. 
He  had  an  additional  inducement  to  get  her  away 
from  the  home  of  his  brother,  and  the  thought  of 
it  nerved  him  to  increased  exertion.  What  he 
had  seen  of  the  commander  of  Fort  Gaines, 
though  he  appeared  to  be  a  faithful,  patriotic,  and 
energetic  young  man,  as  he  understood  his  duty 
to  his  country,  assuredly  he  was  not  the  person  he 
would  have  chosen  for  Florry.  But  his  brother 
could  tell  him  more  about  it,  and  how  far  the 
matter  had  gone,  when  he  saw  him. 

By  the  time  Captain  Passford  had  settled  his 
conclusions  as  far  as  he  could,  the  tug  came  up 
to  the  steamer,  towing  the  boat  from  the  fort. 
Percy  felt  that  he  had  won  a  victory  over  his 
brother,  and   a   Bantam   rooster  could   not   have 


142  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

made  a  wider  spread  on  the  deck.  He  seemed 
to  feel  that  he  was  in  command  of  the  steamer, 
though  he  did  not  venture  to  interfere  with  any 
thing  on  board. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  have  given  you  any  annoy- 
ance, Captain  Passford,"  said  the  major,  as  the 
tug  came  up  to  the  gangway.  "  I  think  we 
should  have  understood  each  other  better  if  your 
steamer  had  not  got  aground." 

"  We  have  suffered  little  or  no  inconvenience, 
sir." 

"  Whether  you  have  or  not,  you  shall  suffer 
no  more.  The  tug  has  come  alongside,  and  I 
will  see  that  you  are  not  delayed  a  moment  after 
I  can  get  to  Fort  Morgan,  which  will  certainly 
fire  upon  you  if  I  do  not  interfere ;  and  I  will 
go  to  it  in  the  tug,"  continued  the  major,  who 
was  still  struggling  to  make  all  the  atonement 
in  his  power  for  his  former  conduct. 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Major  Pierson,  and  I  am 
under  obligations  to  you.  I  have  not  seen  my 
daughter  for  nearly  six  months,  or  my  brother ; 
and  the  sooner  I  meet  them,  the  better  I  shall 
like  it,"  replied  the  owner. 

"I    have    had    the    pleasure    of  meeting   your 


THE  BELLEYITE  PASSED  FORT  MORGAN     148 

daughter  several  times,  as  your  brother's  planta- 
tion is  next  to  my  father's.  It  is  possible  that, 
if  the  exigencies  of  the  coming  war  permit,  I 
may  desire  to  address  a  communication  to  you 
at  no  distant  day,"  said  Major  Pierson,  with 
considerable  embarrassment  in  his  manner. 

Captain  Passford  made  no  reply  to  this  remark ; 
for  he  thought  it  was  entirely  out  of  place  under 
present  circumstances,  and  hoped  matters  had  not 
gone  far  enough  even  to  think  of  future  formali- 
ties. The  major  shook  hands  with  the  owner 
and  his  son,  and  then  with  the  commander, 
and  went  over  the  side.  As  he  did  so,  he  re- 
quested Captain  Breaker  not  to  advance  till  he 
reached  the  fort,  or  at  least  not  to  attempt  to 
pass  it. 

The  tug-boat  went  off  on  its  course,  but  it 
was  nearly  half  an  hour  before  it  got  near  enough 
to  the  fort  to  allow  the  Belle vite  to  start  her 
screw.  As  there  was  nowhere  less  than  three 
fathoms  of  water,  and  Captain  Breaker  knew 
every  inch  of  bottom,  he  directed  Mr.  Vapoor 
to  hurry  the  engine,  so  that  no  one  should  have 
time  to  change  his  mind.  The  steamer  shot  by 
the  fort  as  though  she  did  not  like  the  looks  of 


144  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

it,  and  in  another  half  an  hour  she  was  out 
of  the  reach  of  its  guns. 

The  commander  had  piloted  the  steamer  to 
her  present  destination  before ;  and  there  was 
plenty  of  water  till  she  nearly  reached  the  wharf, 
where  the  planter  could  load  small  vessels  with 
cotton.  It  was  not  within  the  city  of  Mobile, 
though  it  was  not  far  from  it ;  and  it  was  a  sort 
of  low-ground  paradise,  which  money  and  taste 
had  made  very  beautiful. 

"  What  am  I  to  do  now,  Mr.  Pierson  ? "  asked 
Percy,  when  the  steamer  had  come  to  her  moor- 
ings alongside  the  wharf. 

"  That  will  be  for  you  to  decide,  Mr.  Percy ; 
but  you  had  better  take  that  uniform  off  before 
you  live  any  longer,  for  I  am  afraid  some  one 
will  mistake  your  character  if  you  wear  it  on 
shore,"  replied  Christy. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  shall  go  on  shore,"  replied 
the  agent  doubtfully.  "  I  got  by  my  brother 
very  nicely,  thanks  to  Captain  Breaker ;  for  I 
should  have  been  sent  to  the  fort  if  he  had  not 
started  the  screw." 

"  Do  you  think  you  are  in  any  danger  here  ? " 
asked  Christy. 


THE  BELLE VITE  PASSED  FOET  MORGAN     145 

"  I  know  I  am.  My  father's  house  is  over  in 
that  direction  about  half  a  mile.  My  brother 
can  leave  the  fort  any  time  he  likes;  and  he 
will  either  do  so,  or  send  some  of  his  men  up 
here  in  the  fast  tug  to  catch  me." 

"Why  don't  you  go  into  the  army,  if  your 
brother  is  so  anxious  about  it,  Percy?" 

"  That  is  just  what  1  want  to  do,  but  my  father 
positively  forbid  my  doing  so,"  replied  the  volun- 
teer agent.  "  I  should  like  to  get  back  to  Nassau  ; 
for  I  know  I  shall  be  forced  into  the  army,  in 
spite  of  my  father,  if  I  stay  here." 

"My  boy,"  called  his  father,  "I  am  going  on 
shore  now,  and  I  should  like  to  have  you  go  with 
me  to  see  your  uncle." 

Christy  was  glad  to  do  so ;  and  he  departed 
with  the  owner,  leaving  Percy  in  charge  of  the 
commander. 


146  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A   DECIDED   DIFFERENCE   OF   OPINION 

If  Homer  Passford  was  not  a  rich  man  in  the 
sense  that  his  brother  was,  he  was  still  a  wealthy 
man,  and  lived  in  a  style  as  elegant  as  that  of 
any  nabob  in  the  South.  More  than  this,  and  of 
vastly  more  consequence,  he  was  a  good  and  true 
man.  He  was  a  member  of  his  church,  and  his 
brother  believed  that  he  was  a  genuine  and  true 
religious  man.  The  same  principles  of  justice, 
humanity,  and  fairness  had  been  born  into  both 
of  the  brothers,  and  inherited  from  the  same 
father. 

This  was  the  brother  whom  he  from  the  North 
was  about  to  visit  on  the  most  solemn  and 
momentous  questions  which  could  unite  or 
separate  the  only  two  sons  of  the  same  father. 
Though  Horatio  had  reasoned  himself  into  the 
belief  that  Homer  was  as  strongly  a  Union  man 


A  DECIDED  DIFFERENCE   OF  OPINION      147 

as  he  was  himself,  he  had  argued  without  any 
adequate  premises ;  and  now,  when  he  was  almost 
on  the  threshold  of  his  door,  he  did  not  feel  sure 
of  the  position  of  his  brother,  though  his  hope 
was  very  strong. 

It  was  with  no  little  trepidation  on  this  account 
that  he  rang  the  bell  at  the  front  door  of  Glen 
field.  A  few  minutes  or  an  hour  or  two 
would  settle  the  momentous  question,  and  decide 
whether  or  not  all  the  family,  as  well  as  Florry, 
would  take  passage  in  the  Bellevite  for  a  more 
Northern  clime. 

"De  L'od ! "  exclaimed  the  venerable  colored 
man  that  came  to  the  door.  "  De  hull  family 
done  be  wery  glad  to  see  you,  Massa  'Ratio." 

"•I  hope  you  are  very  well,  Pedro,"  replied 
Captain  Passford,  as  he  gave  his  hand  to  the 
old  servant.     "  Here  is   Christy." 

"De  Lo*d  bless  Massa  Christy!"  And  he 
shook  hands  with  the  son  as  he  had  with  the 
father. 

"Is  your  master  at  home,  Pedro?"  asked  the 
visitor,  in  haste  to  see  his  brother. 

"  Yes,  sar ;  all  de  folks  to  home ;  jes'  gwine  to 
lunch.     I  spects  dey  all  wery  glad  to  see  Massa 


148  '  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

'Ratio  and  Massa  Christy.  Walk  in,  sar ;  took 
a  seat  in  de  parlor ;  and  I  done  reckon  we  call 
Massa  Homer  and  de  rest  ob  de  folks  afore  yon 
gits  to  sleep  in  yer  char,  thar,"  said  Pedro,  as  he 
scurried  out  of  the  room  where  he  had  shown 
the  visitors. 

It  was  Florry  who  caught  the  first  sound  of 
the  visitors  who  had  arrived,  and  she  rushed 
into  the  drawing-room  before  the  others  could  be 
called  from  up-stairs.  She  bounded  into  the 
room  like  a  fawn,  with  her  eyes  swimming  with 
tears,  and  threw  herself  into  her  father's  arms. 
She  could  not  speak  a  word,  and  the  captain  was 
as  dumb  as  she  was. 

For  a  moment  she  remained  folded  in  his  arms, 
and  then  she  gently  disengaged  herself,  to  render 
the  same  wealth  of  affection  in  its  manifestation 
to  her  brother,  who  was  standing  by  her  father 
when  she  darted  into  the  room.  But  Christy 
was  a  boy,  and  not  as  demonstrative  as  his 
father,  though  he  discharged  the  duties  of  the 
affecting  occasion  with  becoming  fidelity,  so  that 
the  loving  girl  was  sure  that  his  heart  was 
where  it  had  always  been. 

"Why,    papa,    I    had    no    idea    of   seeing  you 


"She  was  Clasped  in  her  Father's  Arms"     (Page  14£) 


A   DECIDED   DIFFERENCE   OF   OPINION       149 

to-day !  "  exclaimed  Florry,  when  she  had  wiped 
away  her  abundant  tears.  "  I  did  not  know  that 
I  should  ever  see  you  again,  for  they  say  that 
all  the  roads  to  the  North  have  been  closed  to 
travel." 

"  We  did  not  come  by  land,  either  by  railroad 
or  otherwise ;  and  the  Bellevite  lies  at  the 
wharf  near  this  house,"  the  captain  explained. 

"  I  was  terribly  afraid  I  should  never  see  you 
again,  and  that  I  should  have  to  stay  here  till 
this  war  is  ended,  papa ;  but  they  say  it  will 
soon  be  over,"  said  the  fair  girl. 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  not  be  over  for  a  long 
time,  for  each  side  is  firmly  united  in  its  own 
cause.  But  I  could  not  leave  you  here.  Do 
you  want  to  go  back  to  Bonnydale,  Florry?" 

"  Do  I  want  to  go  back  ?  What  a  funny 
question,  papa  ! "  exclaimed  she. 

"  Why  is  it  a  funny  question  ? "  asked  the 
anxious  father,  recalling  the  rather  presumptuous 
suggestion  the  gallant  major  from  Fort  Gaines 
had  made. 

"Don't  you  think  I  want  to  see  mamma? 
You  have  not  told  me  a  word  about  her ;  and  it 
is  a  long  time  now  since  I  have  heard  any  thing. 


150  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

I  do  want  to  go  home,  and  especially  I  want  to 
see  mamma." 

"  Then  you  shall  see  her. 

"  Is  she  here,  papa  ? "  exclaimed  Florry, 
leaping  out  of  the  chair  in  which  she  had  seated 
herself. 

"  She  is  not  here,  my  child.  She  is  at  home, 
but  it  will  not  take  many  days  to  bear  you  to 
her,"  replied  the  devoted  father,  embracing  her 
again,  while  she  kissed  him  over  and  over  again. 

"  Can  I  see  her  before  the  war  is  over,  papa  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"Certainly  you  can,  if  no  accident  interferes 
with  my  plans.     You  really  want  to  go  home  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  I  do.  How  cruel  it  is  of  you  to 
ask  me  such  a  question  !  " 

"  Then  I  won't  ask  it  again.  But  perhaps  you 
will  not  be  able  to  come  to  Glenfield  again  for 
years,"  added  Captain  Passford,  looking  earnestly 
into  her  face. 

"  What  makes  you  look  at  me  so,  papa  ?  What 
have  I  done  ?  You  look  just  as  3*011  did  when  I 
was  little  and  pulled  the  kitten's  tail." 

"  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  have  seen  you,  Florry 
and  I  want  to  look  at  you  all  I  can." 


A  DECIDED  DIFFERENCE  OF  OPINION         151 

"  Then  you  may  look  at  me  as  much  as  you 
wish ;  and  I  shall  be  thankful  it  is  not  that  Major 
Pierson  who  comes  here,  for  he  has  stared  me  out 
of  countenance  every  time  he  came,"  replied  she, 
blushing  a  little. 

"  Then  you  don't  like  him,  do  you  ?  "  asked  her 
father,  with  more  interest  than  he  cared  to 
display. 

"  I  like  him  well  enough,  but  I  wish  he  would 
not  stare  at  me  all  the  time.  He  seems  to  think 
I  am  good  for  nothing  but  to  look  at,"  replied 
Florry  smartly. 

But  the  entrance  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Passford 
turned  aside  the  inquiries  the  captain  was  making 
before  he  had  satisfied  himself,  though  he  had 
obtained  enough  to  afford  him  some  hope.  The 
greeting  extended  to  the  brother  and  nephew  was 
all  that  could  be  expected  or  desired ;  and  if  the 
country  had  not  been  riven  into  two  bitterly  hos- 
tile sections,  the  interview  could  not  have  been 
more  brotherly  and  affectionate.  A  full  hour  was 
used  in  talking  about  the  trip  of  the  Bellevite,  so 
anxious  were  the  family,  including  Florry,  to  hear 
the  particulars  of  the  voyage. 

'kBut   how   in    the    world   did    you   get    here, 


152  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Horatio,  when  every  public  conveyance  that  leads 
into  the  South  has  been  discontinued?"  asked 
Homer. 

"I  came  as  I  came  before,"  replied  Horatio. 

"  You  came  in  the  Bellevite ! "  exclaimed 
Homer. 

"  I  did." 

"But  how  did  you  get  by  the  forts?  Both  of 
them  have  been  garrisoned,  and  they  have  been 
ordered  to  allow  no  vessel  to  pass  unless  she  give 
a  good  account  of  herself,"  continued  the  planter. 

"  In  other  words,  it  is  war  now,"  added 
Horatio. 

"  Undoubtedly  it  is  war ;  and,  in  my  judg- 
ment, it  will  be  a  terrible  conflict  before  it  is 
finished." 

"  I  full}'  agree  with  you,  Homer." 

"  But  you  did  not  tell  me  in  what  manner  you 
passed  the  two  forts,  which  are  already  strong 
enough  to  blow  your  steamer  into  a  thousand 
pieces,"  suggested  Homer. 

"  I  did  not  tell  you,  and  I  think  we  had  better 
understand  each  other  a  little  better  before  I  say 
any  thing  at  all  about  the  passage  of  the  forts  ; 
though  I  can  assure  you  that  not  a  single   shot 


A  DECIDED  DIFFERENCE  OF  OPINION      153 

was  fired  at  the  Bellevite,"  said  Horatio,  some- 
what embarrassed  by  the  situation. 

"  De  lunch  am  ready,  saw,"  said  a  darky  at  the 
door  at  this  moment ;  and  perhaps  the  summons 
saved  the  owner  of  the  Bellevite  from  some 
further  annoyance. 

An  hour  was  spent  at  the  table,  for  there  was 
enough  to  talk  about  without  meddling  with  deli- 
cate subjects.  When  the  repast  was  over,  Florry 
invited  her  brother  to  look  at  the  flower-garden, 
which  was  in  the  height  of  its  glory,  and  she  was 
followed  by  Gerty  her  cousin,  and  by  Mrs. 
Passford.  As  in  the  Northern  family,  there  were 
only  two  children  ;  but  Cornelius,  or  Corny  as  he 
was  generally  called,  was  not  at  home,  though 
nothing  at  all  was  said  about  him. 

Horatio  was  invited  into  the  library  by  his 
brother,  and  they  seated  themselves  for  a  long 
talk.  The  owner  of  the  Bellevite  was  confident 
that  he  should  soon  know  on  which  side  the 
planter  belonged,  though  he  was  still  confident  in 
his  former  views. 

"  I  suppose  there  is  no  other  way  for  you  to  get 
here  at  the  present  time  except  in  your  yacht, 
and  not  many  men  can  command  so  elegant  and 


154  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

substantial  a  vessel  as  the  Bellevite,"  said  Homer, 
when  they  were  seated.  "  But  what  in  the  world 
do  you  expect  to  do  with  her  down  here  ?  " 

"  I  intend  to  return  to  my  home  in  her,  and  tc 
take  my  daughter  back  to  her  mother,"  replied 
Ploratio,  as  unmoved  as  though  he  had  uttered  a 
commonplace  expression. 

"Take  Florry'oack  to  her  mother  !  "  exclaimed 
Homer,  springing  out  of  his  armchair  as  though 
his  five-and-forty  years  counted  for  nothing.  "  I 
hope  that  nothing  at  all  is  the  matter  with  your 
brain,  Horatio." 

"  Nothing  at  all,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  Homer. 
You  seem  to  think  it  is  a  great  undertaking  to 
take  my  daughter  home,"  added  Horatio. 

"  But  it  is  war  in  this  country,  and  all  along  the 
coast.  You  will  certainly  be  captured,  and  your 
daughter  sent  to  a  prison,  at  least  till  she  can  be 
sent  home.  You  have  not  more  than  one  chance 
in  ten  to  get  to  New  York." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  "  asked  Horatio,  smiling. 

"  If  you  don't  know  it,  I  do,  my  dear  brother, 
that  the  Southern  Confederacy  has  sent  out  agents 
to  buy  up  all  the  suitable  vessels  they  can  find,  to 
do  duty  as  cruisers  and  privateers.     You  are  almost 


A  DECIDED  DIFFERENCE   OF  OPINION       155 

sure  to  be  captured,  and  think  what  Florry  would 
suffer  in  such  an  event." 

"  You  seem  to  think  that  the  North  is  going  to 
hold  still,  and  let  you  do  all  this,  Homer,"  added 
the  owner  of  the  Bellevite. 

"  I  don't  see  how  the  North  can  help  itself." 

"  My  information  is  rather  meagre  ;  but  I  am 
informed  that  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  has  proclaimed  the  blockade,  and  even  that 
it  is  enforced  farther  north,  as  I  am  sure  it  will  be 
on  the  south." 

'4  That  is  all  nonsense,  Horatio,  and  you  know 
it," 

'*I  don't  understand  it  so." 

"  How  is  it  possible  for  the  Yankee  Government 
to  station  ships-of-war  on  the  coast  of  the  South- 
ern States  ?  It  is  simply  impossible,"  said  Homer, 
warming  up  with  the  argument,  "  The  business 
of  fitting  out  vessels  is  already  begun,  I  read  in 
the  newspapers ;  and  it  will  be  pushed  to  the 
utmost." 

"  I  am  confident  that  every  Confederate  port  in 
the  United  States  will  be  invested  by  one  or  more 
vessels  within  a  reasonable  time." 

"  But   your   steamer   will   be    captured    before 


156  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

you  can  get  home,  even  if  you  get  out  of  Mobile 
Bay." 

"I  don't  apprehend  any  difficulty  on  that 
account.  If  the  Bellevite  can't  keep  out  of  the 
way  of  any  thing  that  floats,  she  deserves  to  be 
captured.  She  will  belong  to  the  Government 
within  a  few  weeks,"  added  Horatio  quietly. 

"  The  Bellevite  !  "  exclaimed  Homer. 

"  The  Bellevite,  certainly.  I  should  be  ashamed 
to  retain  her  a  month  after  I  knew  that  the  Union 
needs  her,  and  the  Union  shall  have  her  as  a  free 
gift,"  added  Horatio,  quite  as  warmly  as  his 
brother  had  spoken. 

"  You  will  give  }^our  steamer  to  the  Yankee 
Government ! "  gasped  Homer,  rising  from  his 
chair  again,  and  darting  across  the  room,  as  though 
he  was  both  shocked  and  disgusted  at  the  conduct 
of  Horatio.  "  You  will  allow  her  to  be  used  in 
subduing  a  free  people  ?     I  am  sorry." 

Homer  was  very  deeply  grieved,  and  Horatio 
hardly  less  so. 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY       157 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE   BLUE   AND   THE   GRAY 

To  Captain  Passford  the  question  seemed  to  be 
settled ;  and  he  could  no  longer  doubt  that  his 
brother  fully  sympathized  with  the  leaders  of  the 
rebellion,  if  he  was  not  one  of  them  himself.  He 
was  certainly  the  most  enthusiastic  person  he  had 
yet  seen  on  that  side  of  the  question.  But  Homer 
was  thoroughly  sincere,  for  he  never  was  any  thing 
else  on  any  subject. 

Horatio  was  unable  to  understand  how  his 
brother  could  reason  himself  into  the  belief  that 
secession  was  right,  when  the  duty  of  saving  the 
Union  was  to  him  paramount ;  and  certainly 
Homer  was  equally  puzzled  over  the  political  faith 
of  Horatio.  Until  the  darkness  of  evening  began 
to  gather,  they  argued  the  tremendous  question ; 
and  they  discussed  it  ably,  for  both  of  them  were 
thinking  and  reasoning  men. 

But,  when  the  darkness  gathered,  they  were  not 


158  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

one  hair's-breadth  nearer  an  agreement ;  and 
probably  if  they  had  continued  to  argue  till  morn- 
ing, or  even  till  the  end  of  the  year,  they  would 
have  come  no  nearer  together.  Each  had  a  sort 
of  horror  of  the  views  of  the  other,  though  they 
had  lived  in  peace  and  harmony  all  the  days  of 
their  lives. 

"  Homer,  you  are  my  brother ;  and  I  am  sure 
that  an  unpleasant  word  never  passed  between 
us,"  said  Horatio,  when  the  sun  had  gone  down  on 
the  fruitless  discussion. 

"Certainly  not,  brother;  and  it  grieves  me 
sorely  to  find  that  you  are  upon  one  side,  while  I 
am  on  the  other,"  replied  Homer  with  a  strong 
manifestation  of  feeling.  "  I  did  not  expect  to 
see  you  at  Glenfield ;  but  I  felt  sure  that  you 
would  not  be  found,  actually  or  constructively,  in 
the  ranks  of  the  enemies  of  the  South." 

"And  I  was  equally  sure  that  you  would  be 
found  on  the  side  of  your  country,  —  the  whole 
country,  and  not  a  miserable  fraction  of  it," 
added  Horatio,  with  quite  as  much  warmth  as 
his  brother.  "  I  came  here  in  the  Bellevite  as 
much  to  convey  you  to  a  place  of  safety,  as  to 
restore  Florry  to  her  mother." 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY       159 

"  My  country  is  here  in  the  South.  I  have  no 
other  country ;  and  I  shall  stand  by  it  to  the  last 
ditch,  wherein  I  am  ready  to  cast  all  that  I  have 
and  all  that  I  am.  If  you  thought  it  possible 
for  me  to  desert  the  cause  of  the  South,  you 
strangely  misjudged  me ;  and  I  do  not  feel  at  all 
complimented  by  the  formation  of  your  opinion 
of  me,"  said  Homer,  with  a  trifle  more  of  bitter- 
ness in  his  tone  and  manner  than  he  had  used 
before. 

"  I  see  how  it  is  with  }<tou,  Homer ;  and  I 
realize  that  it  is  worse  than  folly  for  us  to  discuss 
this  important  question.  Your  mind  is  made  up, 
and  so  is  mine  ;  and  I  fear  that  we  might  quarrel 
if  we  should  continue  to  bandy  words  on  the 
subject.  We  had  better  drop  it  entirely,  once 
for  all." 

"  Perhaps  we  had ;  but  it  grieves  me  sorely, 
even  to  think  of  my  only  brother  taking  part 
with  the  hirelings  of  the  North  in  an  attempt  to 
subdue  the  free,  untamed,  and  untamable  South. 
It  would  not  hurt  my  feelings  more  to  know  that 
you  were  a  buccaneer,  roving  on  the  ocean  for 
the  plunder  of  all  nations." 

"  You   should    also    consider  my  feelings  when 


160  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

I  think  of  you  in  armed  rebellion  against  the 
best  government  God  ever  allowed  to  exist ;  that 
my  own  brother  is  a  rebel  and  a  traitor,  who  is 
liable  to  be  shot  or  hung  for  his  armed  treason." 

This  was  too  much  for  Homer,  and  he  gave 
vent  to  his  emotion  in  a  laugh  at  the  picture  his 
brother  had  drawn.  He  walked  the  library,  and 
chuckled  as  though  he  were  actually  amused  at 
the  remarks  of  the  other;  and  perhaps  he  was. 

"  I  am  really  and  heartily  sorry  for  you, 
Horatio.  Your  future,  I  fear,  will  be  terribly 
dark.  Of  course,  all  business  will  cease  at  the 
North  :  the  grass  will  grow  in  the  streets  of  New 
York  and  other  large  cities.  You  have  an 
immense  fortune,  which  I  do  not  believe  you  can 
retain  a  single  year  ;  for  the  war  is  not  to  be 
confined  to  Southern  soil,  but  will  be  carried  into 
the  North,  where  the  expenses  of  our  men  will 
be  paid  by  the  enem}r." 

"  T  think  we  had  better  confine  our  attention 
to  the  present,  and  let  the  future  take  care  of 
itself,"  said  Horatio,  with  a  smile  at  the  prophetic 
croakings  of  his  brother. 

"  Be  that  as  it  may,  though  T  feel  confident 
that  all  I  predict  will  come  to  pass,  I  desire  to 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY       161 

have  one  thing  understood  :  when  you  have  lost 
your  fortune,  or  wasted  it  on  the  hireling  armies 
of  the  North,  or  on  ships  for  its  navy,  you  may 
always  be  sure  of  a  home  at  Glenfield  for  yourself 
and  all  your  family." 

"  If  you  do  not  lose  or  waste  all  that  you  have 
on  the  army  of  the  other  side,"  added  Horatio  with 
a  smile.     "  But  1  am  ready  to  drop  this  subject." 

"  It  seems  to  be  useless  to  continue  it ;  though, 
if  there  were  any  possible  way  to  convert  you 
from  the  error  of  your  way  of  thinking,  I  would 
struggle  all  night  with  you,"  said  Homer. 

"  You  cannot  make  a  traitor  of  me,  brother. 
But  I  must  tell  Florry  to  pack  her  trunk  at 
once." 

"  Pack  her  trunk  ?  Why  are  you  in  such  a 
hurry?"  demanded  Homer. 

"  Because  this  is  not  a  safe  place  for  me  and 
mine  ;  and  I  have  my  two  children  with  me." 

"  You  ought  to  have  left  Christy  at  home." 

"  I  think  not.  Though  he  is  only  sixteen,  he 
has  seen  so  much  of  the  world,  and  is  so  bright, 
that  he  is  almost  a  man.  He  will  go  into  the 
navy  within  a  few  weeks,  and  I  shall  expect  him 
to  give  a  good  account  of  himself." 


162  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

"  He  is  rather  young.  Corny  is  eighteen,  and 
he  has  already  enlisted  with  his  mother's  blessing 
■and  mine.  But  I  think  you  need  not  be  in  such 
a  hurry,  Horatio,  to  get  away  from  here  ;  for  it 
is  a  long  time  since  we  met.1' 

"  I  have  expressed  my  political  sentiments  very 
freely  to  you,  Homer  ,  and  you  know  as  well  as  I 
do,  that,  if  they  were  known,  I  should  not  be  safe 
a  single  day." 

"  Not  quite  so  bad  as  that,  for  I  think  I  should 
have  sufficient  influence  to  save  you  from  arrest," 
added  Homer. 

"■The  Bellevite  cost  me  over  half  a  million 
dollars,  and  she  is  worth  all  she  cost.  If  I  were 
safe  a  single  day,  the  steamer  and  ship's  company 
on  board  of  her  would  not  be.  I  brought  them 
down  here,  and  I  intend  to  take  them  back." 

"And  then  you  present  this  fine  vessel  to  the 
Yankee  Government,  and  doubtless  the  men  on 
board  of  her  will  go  into  the  service  of  the 
navy." 

"I  certainly  expect  as  much  as  that  of  them." 

'*  Then  I  question  whether  I  ought  to  allow 
such  a  prize  to  pass  out  of  the  bay  for  such  a 
purpose,'"  said  Homer. 


THE   BLUE    AND   THE   GRAY  163 

"  Then,  with  such  a  doubt  as  that  in  your  mind, 
I  ought  not  to  remain  here  another  hour,"  added 
Horatio  quietly.  "  If  you  have  gone  far  enough 
in  treason  to  betray  your  own  brother,  coming 
here  to  your  home  for  no  warlike  purpose,  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  why,  all  I  can  do  is  to  look 
out  for  myself." 

"I  did  not  say  that  I  should  betray  you, 
Horatio.  It  is  simply  a  question  with  me  whether 
my  duty  to  my  country  will  allow  me  to  let  your 
steamer  leave  these  waters.  I  have  not  settled 
the  question  in  my  own  mind." 

"  I  hope  you  will  settle  it  soon.  If  I  am  to  take 
my  first  step  in  this  fratricidal  war  by  defending 
myself  against  my  own  brother,  let  him  speak,  and 
I  am  ready,"  replied  Horatio,  shaken  by  an 
emotion  deeper  than  he  had  ever  experienced 
before. 

"  Horatio,  whatever  you  may  do,  whatever  I 
may  do,  each  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  to  his 
country,  his  country  as  he  understands  it,  let 
us  have  no  unfraternal  feeling,"  continued  Homer, 
almost  as  much  disturbed  in  his  feelings  as  .his 
brother. 

"  In  other  words,  if  you  hand  me  and  my  vessel 


164  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

over  to  your  leaders,  and  consequently  take  from 
me  the  means  of  bearing  my  daughter  to  a  place 
of  safety,  I  am  to  put  my  hand  on  my  heart,  and 
say  that  my  brother  has  done  right,  for  I  will  not 
use  any  stronger  terms,"  said  Horatio,  struggling 
with  his  emotion. 

"I  must  do  my  duty  as  I  understand  it," 
protested  Homer.  "  The  question  I  put  to  myself 
is  this :  can  I  justify  myself,  before  God  and  my 
country,  if  I  permit  the  finest  steamer  in  the 
world,  as  you  state  it,  to  be  transferred  to  the 
Yankee  navy,  to  be  used  in  killing,  ravaging,  and 
destroying  within  the  free  South?  The  steamer  is 
here,  and  within  my  reach.  After  all  you  have 
said,  she  would  be  the  lawful  prize  of  any  tug-boat 
in  the  bay  that  could  capture  her.  I  begin  to 
realize  that  I  should  be  guilty  of  treason  to  my 
country  in  letting  her  go." 

"  You  must  be  your  own  judge  in  regard  to 
that,"  replied  Horatio  bitterly,  as  he  rose  from  his 
chair  and  walked  towards  the  door. 

"  One  word  more,  Horatio.  I  look  upon  the 
Bellevite  as  already  belonging  to  the  Southern 
Confederacy.  Of  course,  being  a  private  yacht, 
she  is  not  armed  ?  " 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY       165 

Homer  paused  and  looked  at  his  brother  as 
though  he  expected  an  answer  to  this  question ; 
but  the  owner  of  the  steamer  made  no  reply. 

"Do  you  say  that  the  Belle vite  is  armed, 
Horatio  ?  "  repeated  Homer. 

"  I  do  not  say  any  thing  about  it.  I  find  that  I 
am  in  the  presence  of  an  enemy,  though  he  is  my 
own  brother." 

"  Do  not  assume  that  tone  ,to  me,  Horatio :  it 
wounds  me  to  the  heart,"  said  Homer,  in  a  depre- 
catory tone.  "  If  we  are  enemies  because  you 
choose  to  oppress  our  people,  I  cannot  help  it ; 
but  we  will  still  be  brothers." 

"  The  attack  upon  Fort  Sumter  was  made  by 
the  South ;  and  thus  far,  at  least  to  the  extent 
that  I  have  been  informed,  the  South  has  been  the 
assailant ;  and  you  say  that  I  choose  to  oppress 
your  people.  They  have  taken  the  sword,  and 
they  will  perish  by  the  sword." 

Captain  Passford  could  not  trust  his  feelings 
any  longer  to  remain  with  his  brother,  and  he  left 
the  room.  In  the  hall  he  met  Florry,  who  had 
been  lying  in  wait  for  him  for  over  an  hour.  She 
threw  herself  on  his  neck  as  she  had  done  before  ; 
but  she  found  her  father  full  of  energy,  and  he 


166  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

was  not  even  willing  to  use  his  minutes  to  caress 
her. 

"What  is  the  matter,  papa?"  asked  the  fair 
girl,  astonished  at  the  manner  of  her  father,  for 
she  had  never  before  seen  him  so  agitated. 

"Do  not  ask  me  any  questions,  Florry,  for  I 
have  not  time  to  answer  them  now,"  said  he 
hastily.  "  Go  to  your  room  and  pack  all  your 
things  as  quick  as  you  possibly  can,  and  without 
saying  a  word  to  any  one." 

"  Why,  papa !  " 

"  Not  a  word,  my  dear  child,"  he  added,  kissing 
her. 

"  It  will  not  take  me  five  minutes,  papa ;  for  I 
have  been  packing  my  trunk  this  afternoon,  when 
I  had  nothing  else  to  do." 

"  Where  is  your  room,  Florry  ?  " 

"  It  is  on  the  lower  floor,  next  to  the  library." 

"  I  will  be  there  in  a  few  minutes.  Dress  your- 
self, and  be  ready  to  leave  at  a  minute's  notice," 
continued  Captain  Passford.    "  Where  is  Christy  ?  " 

"  He  went  out  about  an  hour  ago,  when  he  saw 
from  the  window  a  young  man  I  did  not  know," 
replied  Florry,  as  she  passed  into  her  room. 

Captain  Passford  wondered  who  the  young  man 


THE   BLUE   AND   THE   GRAY  167 

was  whom  his  son  had  gone  out  to  meet ;  for  no 
one  was  allowed  to  leave  the  deck  of  the  Bellevite 
who  belonged  to  her,  and  he  was  not  aware  that 
Christy  had  any  friend  in  the  vicinity.  He  was 
annoyed  at  his  absence,  for  he  wanted  him  at  that 
very  moment. 

Mrs.  Passford  and  Gerty  were  up-stairs,  where 
nimble  fingers  were  busily  at  work  for  the  soldiers 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  as  they  were  also  in 
the  North  for  the  Union.  The  captain  looked  all 
about  the  house,  but  he  could  not  see  or  hear  of 
his  son. 


168  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER    XV 

BROTHER  AT  WAR  WITH  BROTHER 

Captain  Passford  was  very  much  annoyed  at 
the  absence  of  Christy  at  that  particular  moment, 
for  it  seemed  to  be  heavily  laden  with  momentous 
events  to  him  and  his  family ;  though  Christy 
could  not  possibly  know  what  had  transpired  in 
the  library  between  the  two  brothers.  He  waited 
very  uneasily  in  the  hall,  after  his  return  from  his 
search. 

Homer  Passford  did  not  come  out  of  his  library, 
and  he  sat  brooding  over  the  remarkable  interview 
which  had  taken  place  between  the  brothers.  No 
doubt  he  would  have  been  glad  to  believe  that  he 
had  been  wrong ;  for  he  had  nothing  but  the  kind- 
est feelings  in  the  world  towards  his  brother,  and 
had  never  had  in  all  his  life.  He  was  five  years 
older  than  Horatio ;  and,  in  their  earlier  life, 
he   had  been   to   some  extent  his   guardian   and 


BROTHER  AT  WAR  WITH  BROTHER    169 

protector,  and  he  had  never  lost  the  feeling  of 
boyhood. 

But  he  had  proved  himself  to  be  a  patriot  of  the 
severest  type,  and  proposed  to  rob  his  brother  of 
his  steamer,  his  only  means  of  conveying  his 
daughter  to  his  home,  for  the  benefit  of  the  frac- 
tion of  the  nation  which  he  called  his  country,  and 
more  to  prevent  her  from  being  transferred  to  the 
navy  of  the  Union. 

While  the  captain  was  waiting  in  the  hall,  the 
library  door  opened,  and  Homer  presented  himself. 
He  invited  his  brother  to  return  to  the  apartment, 
for  he  had  something  to  say  to  him ;  but  Horatio 
positively  declined  to  do  so,  fearful  that  they 
might  come  to  an  open  rupture  if  the  exciting 
discussion  was  continued. 

"But  you  will  hear  me  a  moment  or  two,  will 
you  not,  Horatio?"  asked  Homer;  and  his  lips 
quivered  under  the  influence  of  his  active  thought. 

"  I  will  as  long  as  that,"  replied  Horatio. 

"I  have  been  thinking  of  the  subject  of  our 
conversation  in  relation  to  the  Bellevite ;  and  I 
have  something  to  propose  to  you,  which  I  hope 
will  satisfy  you,  and  at  the  same  time  will  not  rob 
our  Government  of  what  now  belongs  to  it." 


170  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

"I  am  listening,"  added  Horatio,  as  Homer 
paused  to  note  the  effect  of  his  proposal. 

"  You  did  not  tell  me  how  you  got  by  the  forts 
in  your  steamer,  and  perhaps  you  are  ready  to  do 
so  now." 

"  I  am  not  ready  now ;  and  I  am  not  likely  to 
be  ready  at  any  future  time  to  do  so,  Homer.  You 
have  indicated  that  we  are  enemies,  and  each 
should  keep  his  own  counsels." 

"  Of  course  you  will  do  as  you  think  proper.  I 
cannot  reconcile  myself  to  the  idea  of  permitting 
a  fine  steamer  like  the  Bellevite,  now  virtually  in 
possession  of  the  Confederacy,  to  sail  away  out  of 
the  bay.  I  feel  that  I  should  be  guilty  of  treason 
to  my  country  to  do  so." 

"  And  you  propose  to  steal  her  from  your  own 
brother,  if  you  can.  You  have  done  a  large 
business  in  stealing  forts,  and  one  ought  not  to 
be  surprised  when  you  propose  to  steal  a  ship," 
replied  Horatio  mildly  but  sternly. 

"  I  pass  over  the  injustice  and  unkindness  on 
your  part  of  that  remark,  and  I  hope  you  will 
accept  my  offer." 

"  Let  me  hear  it  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  In  spite  of  your  present  unfortunate  position, 


BROTHER  AT  WAR  WITH  BROTHER    171 

Horatio,  I  believe  you  are  still  a  man  of  truth, 
honor,  and  integrity." 

"Thank  you,  Homer." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  keep  Florry  here  when  her 
mother  desires  so  much  to  see  her,  and  I  have  hit 
upon  a  plan  by  which  you  can  do  this  without 
making  me  a  traitor  to  my  country." 

"  It  must  have  been  a  happy  thought,"  added 
Horatio,  somewhat  interested  in  what  the  other 
was  saying. 

"  I  think  it  was  a  happy  thought,  and  I 
sincerely  hope  you  will  be  able  to  accept  the  plan. 
I  have  some  little  influence  in  this  section,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  I  can  procure  a  pass  for  your 
steamer  to  go  to  sea,"  continued  Homer,  pausing 
to  study  the  expression  of  his  brother. 

"  Do  I  understand  that  you  propose  to  do  this, 
Homer?"  asked  Captain  Passford,  not  a  little 
astonished  at  the  apparent  change  his  brother  had 
made  in  his  position. 

"  On  a  certain  condition,  which  you  can  easily 
meet." 

"It  looks  as  though  you  were  becoming  more 
reasonable.  What  is  the  condition  on  which  you 
will   do    this?     For  I  should  certainly  prefer  to 


172  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

have  no  shots  fired  at  the  Belle vite  while  Florry 
is  on  board  of  her." 

"  As  I  have  said,  your  word  is  as  good  as  your 
bond;  and  I  am  willing  to  accept  the  conse- 
quences of  the  step  I  propose  to  take,  since  the 
Confederacy  will  not  suffer  any  loss  or  detriment 
on  account  of  it." 

"It  will  not!  "  exclaimed  the  captain,  beginning 
to  see  that  he  could  not  accept  the  conditions. 

"It  will  not.  I  could  not  injure  or  cheat  my 
country,  even  to  serve  my  only  brother,  greatly  as 
T  desire  to  do  all  I  can  for  him." 

"But  what  is  the  condition,  Homer?"  asked 
Captain  Passford,  who  had  by  this  time  lost  all 
hope  of  the  plan. 

"  You  shall  take  Florry  to  some  point,  —  Ber- 
muda, for  instance,  —  from  which  she  can  obtain 
passage  to  New  York.  Before  you  go,  you  shall 
give  me  your  simple  word  that  you  will  return  to 
Mobile  Bay  with  the  Bellevite,  and  surrender  her 
to  the  Confederate  authorities.  I  am  entirely 
willing  to  accept  your  promise  to  do  this,  without 
any  bond  or  other  writing." 

"Is  that  all?"  asked  Horatio,  hardly  able  to 
contain  himself. 


BROTHER  AT  WAR  WITH  BROTHER    173 

"  That  is  all ;  what  more  do  you  desire? " 

"  Nothing ;  that  is  enough.  I  have  already 
tendered  my  steamer  to  the  Government  of  the 
United  States ;  do  you  think  me  capable  of 
surrendering  my  vessel  to  rebels  and  traitors, 
under  any  possible  circumstances?  I  would  blow 
her  up  with  all  on  board  of  her,  before  I  would  do 
such  a  thing.  You  insult  me  by  proposing  such 
treachery  to  me.  Not  another  word  about  it,  if 
you  please ! " 

Homer  returned  to  his  library,  and  closed  the 
door  after  him ;  for  the  last  remark  of  the  owner 
of  the  Bellevite  had  excited  him,  and  he  could  not 
trust  himself  to  remain  any  longer  in  the  presence 
of  his  Union  brother. 

"  I  am  all  ready,  papa,"  said  Florry,  who  had 
opened  the  door  once  before,  and  found  that  her 
father  was  engaged. 

"  I  cannot  find  Christy,  but  I  hope  he  is  not  far 
off,"  added  Captain  Passford,  as  he  went  into  the 
room,  and,  to  the  astonishment  of  his  daughter, 
bolted  the  door  after  him. 

"  I  did  not  know  the  young  man  he  went  out  to 
see,  but  I  noticed  that  he  looked  something  like 
Major  Pierson,"  said  Florry. 


174  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  Then  it  was  the  major's  brother,  and  he  came 
from  Nassau  with  us  on  board  of  the  steamer.  I 
hope  neither  of  them  will  get  into  any  trouble,  for 
all  this  country  is  in  a  very  excited  condition," 
said  the  captain,  as  he  carefully  opened  the 
window  at  the  side  of  the  apartment. 

This  was  quite  as  singular  a  movement  as  bolting 
the  door ;  and  the  fair  girl,  who  had  heard  some  of 
the  energetic  conversation  in  the  hall,  began  to 
think  that  something  strange  was  about  to  trans- 
pire in  the  mansion.  Her  father  spent  some  time 
in  looking  out  the  window ;  for  it  was  now  quite 
dark,  and  he  could  not  make  out  objects  out- 
doors very  readily. 

The  window  opened  upon  a  lawn  covered  with 
orange,  magnolia,  and  other  ornamental  trees. 
The  house  was  low  on  the  ground,  and  it  was 
not  more  than  three  feet  from  the  window-sill 
to  the  lawn.  Without  explaining  any  thing, 
Captain  Passford  took  his  daughter's  trunk, 
carried  it  to  the  window,  and  then  dropped  it 
upon  the  lawn  beneath. 

"Now,  Florry,  I  want  you  to  get  out  at  this 
window ;  and  you  can  easily  step  down  upon  the 
trunk,"  continued  the  owner  of  the  Bellevite. 


BROTHER  AT  WAR  WITH  BROTHER    175 

"  Get  out  of  the  window,  papa  ?  "  demanded  the 
maiden,  with  a  look  of  intense  astonishment  at 
her  father. 

"  Do  just  as  I  tell  you,  my  child,  and  don't  ask 
any  questions  now ;  for  all  will  be  explained  to 
your  satisfaction,"  replied  he,  as  he  assisted  her 
to  a  chair,  by  which  she  mounted  to  the  window- 
stool. 

She  dropped  lightly  down  upon  the  trunk, 
which  had  been  placed  in  a  convenient  position 
for  her,  and  then  to  the  ground.  Her  father 
followed  her ;  though  he  stopped  long  enough  to 
close  the  window  after  him,  and  leave  every  thing 
as  it  had  been  before. 

"  I  think  I  can  understand  something  about  it, 
papa,"  said  Florry,  as  the  captain  joined  her, 
"  But  am  I  to  leave  this  house,  where  I  have  been 
for  six  months,  without  saying  good-by  to  uncle  or 
aunt?" 

"  Not  a  word  to  any  one,  my  child.  I  am  sorry 
it  must  be  so  ;  but  this  is  a  time  of  war,  and  I 
have  no  time  to  stand  on  ceremonies,"  replied  her 
father,  as  he  picked  up  the  trunk,  and  tossed  it  on 
his  shoulder  as  though  he  had  done-  that  kind  of 
work  before. 


176  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

He  walked  off  with  a  firm  step,  in  spite  of  his 
burden,  taking  the  nearest  way  to  the  wharf  where 
he  had  left  the  Bellevite.  The  distance  was  con- 
siderable, and  the  millionnaire  was  obliged  to  stop 
and  rest  two  or  three  times ;  and,  though  Florry 
insisted  upon  helping  him,  he  would  not  allow  her 
to  do  so.  It  was  nearly  ten  o'clock  at  night  when 
the  wanderers  reached  their  destination,  and  were 
hailed  by  the  vigilant  watch  on  the  deck. 

"  Florence  ! "  called  the  owner  of  the  steamer 
when  he  was  challenged,  and  gave  the  word  that 
had  been  agreed  upon. 

"  Pass,  Florence,"  replied  the  sentinel. 

All  the  officers  were  still  ujdou  board,  and  Florry 
received  a  very  respectful  greeting  from  all  of 
them.  Her  trunk  was  carried  to  her  stateroom  ; 
and  she  soon  followed  it,  for  the  excitement  of  the 
afternoon  and  evening  was  rather  too  much  for 
her. 

"  Is  Percy  still  on  board,  Breaker  ?  "  asked  the 
owner. 

"  He  is  not :  he  lounged  about  the  deck  till 
nearly  night,  and  then  he  said  he  would  go  up  and 
see  his  mother,  to  which  I  had  not  the  least 
objection,"  replied  the  commander. 


BROTHER  AT  WAR  WITH  BROTHER    177 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  his  going  where  he 
pleases  now,  but  the  worst  of  it  is  that  Christy 
appears  to  have  gone  with  him.  They  must  have 
been  gone  three  hours,  and  I  begin  to  be  worried 
about  my  son.  But  no  matter  for  that  now:  we 
are  ready  to  sail,  and  it  is  necessary  to  get  out 
into  the  bay,  at  least  without  any  loss  of  time, 
Breaker.     The  tide  is  right  now." 

Captain  Breaker  had  not  expected  to  leave  so 
soon,  and  thought  it  probable  that  the  vessel 
would  remain  where  she  was  for  several  days  or  a 
week.  But  he  had  caused  the  fires  to  be  banked, 
so  as  to  be  ready  for  any  emergency,  though  he 
did  not  anticipate  any ;  for  he  reasoned  that  the 
powerful  influence  of  the  owner's  brother  would 
be  enough  to  protect  the  steamer  from  interfer- 
ence. 

The  commander  called  all  hands,  and  the  owner 
requested  that  the  work  be  done  with  as  little 
noise  as  possible.  In  less  than  an  hour  the  Belle- 
vite  was  floating  in  the  deep  waters  of  the  bay. 
But  the  owner  was  far  from  easy  ;  though,  in  spite 
of  all  his  brother  had  said,  he  felt  that  the  steamer 
was  safe  for  the  present :  he  was  not  a  little 
alarmed  at  the  continued  absence  of  Christy. 


178  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Captain  Passford  had  formed  a  very  decided 
opinion  in  regard  to  Major  Pierson,  and  he  did  not 
believe  that  Percy  had  seen  the  end  of  his  troubles 
in  the  matter  of  joining  the  army.  It  was  not 
over  a  three  hours'  run  in  a  reasonably  fast 
steamer  from  the  forts  to  the  city,  and  at  least  ten 
hours  had  elapsed  since  the  Bellevite  came  up. 
Possibly  the  major  might  wonder  whether  or  not 
the  coming  of  Captain  Passford  would  disturb  the 
residence  of  Miss  Florence  at  the  mansion  of  her 
uncle.  It  was  not  improbable  that  he  had,  or 
might,  come  up  to  look  out  for  his  interests. 

If  he  came  across  his  brother  Percy  after  he  left 
the  steamer,  he  was  likely  to  make  a  soldier  of 
him ;  and  it  was  unfortunate  that  Christy  had 
been  his  companion  when  last  seen. 


CHRISTY  FINDS  HIMSELF  A  PRISONER       179 


CHAPTER   XVI 

CHRISTY   FINDS   HIMSELF   A   PRISONER 

Christy  Passford  had  not  gone  out  of  his 
uncle's  house  for  any  particular  purpose ;  though 
he  saw  Percy,  and  joined  him  as  he  left  the 
mansion.  He  had  visited  Glenfield  before,  and 
he  had  some  curiosity  to  see  familiar  objects 
again.  It  was  nearly  dark,  and  he  wondered 
where  the  major's  brother  was  going  at  that 
hour. 

"  Where  are  you  going  now,  Mr.  Percy,"  he 
asked,  as  he  approached  the  agent. 

"  I  thought  I  would  go  up  to  the  house  and 
see  my  mother,"  replied  Percy.  "  Won't  you  go 
over  with  me  ?     It  is  only  a  short  distance." 

"  No,  I  think  not :  I  don't  care  to  go  a  great 
way  from  the  house." 

"  It  isn't  above  half  a  mile,  and  I  am  coming 
directly  back  again." 


180  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

"  I  will  not  go  as  far  as  you  are  going,  but  I 
will  take  a  little  stroll  as  far  as  the  gate.  Where 
is  your  brother  now  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  he  is  at  the  fort.  If  I  thought  he 
were  about  here,  I  should  not  leave  the  steamer. 
He  has  got  it  into  his  head  that  I  must  join  the 
army,  and  he  will  never  be  satisfied  till  I  am 
there." 

"  He  is  certainly  very  much  in  earnest,  judging 
by  his  conduct  on  board  of  the  Bellevite,"  added 
Christy. 

"  He  pretends  to  believe  that  my  not  joining 
the  army  will  be  a  disgrace  to  the  family  ;  but,  if 
my  father  don't  think  so,  Lindley  need  not  worry 
his  head  about  the  matter." 

"  Your  brother  seems  to  have  a  very  strong 
will  of  his  own,"  suggested  Christy. 

"  He  will  send  me  into  the  army  in  spite  of  my 
father  and  mother  ;  and,  for  that  reason,  I  don't 
mean  to  go  where  he  can  put  his  finger  on  me. 
Of  course,  the  Bellevite  is  going  into  the 
Confederate  navy." 

Percy  looked  his  companion  in  the  face,  as 
though  he  had  been  thinking  of  something  which 
would  benefit  his  own  case. 


CHRISTY  FINDS  HIMSELF  A  PRISONER       181 

"  You  will  have  to  ask  my  uncle  about  that," 
replied  Christy,  not  willing  to  say  any  more  than 
was  necessary  on  this  subject. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  it,  and  I  would 
rather  be  in  the  navy  than  in  the  army.  I  hope 
your  uncle  will  be  able  to  do  something  for  me." 

"  I  don't  know  whether  he  can  or  not.  For 
aught  I  know,  the  steamer  may  be  sent  to 
England,  or  to  some  other  country,"  replied 
Christy,  as  they  approached  the  gate,  which  was 
to  be  the  end  in  that  direction  of  his  walk. 

"  At  any  rate,  I  mean  to  stay  on  board  of  the 
Bellevite  ;  and  I  shall  take  my  chances  of  getting 
a  position  of  some  kind  on  board  of  her." 

"  What  kind  of  a  position  do  you  desire  ?  " 

"  I  am  willing  to  be  one  of  the  lieutenants,  or 
something  of  that  kind,"  replied  Percy  with 
becoming  condescension. 

"  One  of  the  lieutenants ! "  exclaimed  Christy. 
"Of  course  you  know  all  about  handling  a  ship 
or  a  steamer." 

"I  can't  say  I  do.  In  fact,  I  never  went  on 
the  sea  till  I  went  to  Nassau  with  my  father," 
replied  Percy  candidly.  "But  I  can  soon  learn 
all  about  it." 


182  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  A  nice  lieutenant  you  will  make !  Why 
don't  you  apply  for  the  position  of  commander 
of  her?" 

"I  am  willing  to  take  a  subordinate  position 
till  I  learn  something  about  the  business." 

"That's  right!  Be  humble  at  first,  and  you 
will  be  great  afterwards." 

"  I  should  have  been  willing  to  go  into  the 
army  as  a  captain,  or  even  as  a  lieutenant ;  but  I 
couldn't  quite  stand  it  to  go  in  as  a  common 
soldier,  while  my  brother  made  a  beginning  as  a 
major." 

"I  think  I  will  not  go  any  farther,  Mr.  Percy," 
said  Christy,  as  he  halted  near  the  gate. 

"Oh,  don't  leave  me  now,  Mr.  Pierson!  We 
are  half  way  to  my  father's  house,"  Percy  objected. 

"  I  can't  go  any  farther,  for  I  may  be  wanted." 

"You  will  be  safe  enough,  Mr.  Pierson.  My 
mother  is  at  home,  and  she  will  be  glad  to  see 
you. 

"  I  think  I  will  not  see  your  mother  to-night," 
added  Christy,  as  he  turned,  and  began  to  retrace 
his  steps  towards  the  mansion  of  his  uncle. 

They  had  halted  in  the  road  near  the  gate,  and 
on  both  sides  of  it  was  a  thick  undergrowth  of 


Four  Men  Sprang  in  Front  of  Him    (Page  183) 


CHRISTY  FINDS   HIMSELF  A  PRISONER       183 

small  trees  and  bushes  ;  and  in  the  shade  of  this 
foliage  it  had  become  quite  dark.  Christy  had 
not  taken  three  steps  before  four  men  sprang  out 
of  the  thicket  in  front  of  him,  all  of  them  armed 
with  muskets,  and  wearing  a  uniform  of  gray. 
Two  placed  themselves  in  front  of  Christy ; 
while  the  other  two  rushed  after  Percy,  who 
took  to  his  heels  as  soon  as  he  saw  them. 

The  gate  was  an  impediment  to  the  latter ;  and 
before  he  could  get  over  or  through  it,  the  two 
soldiers  had  laid  violent  hands  on  him.  He 
could  offer  no  effectual  resistance,  and  it  was 
evident  that  he  was  frightened  out  of  his  wits ;  for 
he  looked  and  acted  like  the  ghost  of  despair 
itself.  The  two  men  immediately  tied  his  hands 
behind  him ;  and,  though  they  did  not  use  any 
undue  harshness,  they  did  their  work  thoroughly. 

Christy  was  even  more  astonished  than  his 
companion  at  this  sharp  discipline.  He  did  not 
regard  himself  as  a  fit  subject  for  such  treatment, 
and  he  could  not  understand  why  he  had  been 
subjected  to  it.  He  was  not  liable  to  do  military 
duty,  and  Major  Pierson  could  hardly  think  of 
pressing  him  into  the  service  of  the  Confederacy. 
His   two    captors  were  as  prompt  in  their  action 


184  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

as  the  two  who  had  taken  Percy,  and  his  hands 
were  also  tied  behind  him. 

"  Good-evening,  gentlemen,"  said  Christy,  as 
soon  as  the  soldiers  had  bound  him,  and  then 
stood  in  front  to  take  a  look  at  him.  "  Don't  it 
strike  you  that  you  are  indulging  in  rather  sharp 
practice  ?  " 

"  We  haven't  any  thing  to  do  with  the  practice  : 
all  we  have  to  do  is  to  obey  orders,"  replied  one 
of  the  men. 

"  But  I  think  you  have  mistaken  your  orders," 
suggested  the  prisoner. 

"  I  think  not :  if  we  have,  we  will  set  things  to 
rights  at  once,"  replied  the  man,  who  appeared  to 
be  the  sergeant  in  command  of  the  party.  "  But 
our  business  is  not  so  much  with  you  as  with  the 
other  young  fellow." 

Upon  this,  Christy  was  conducted  to  the  gate, 
where  Percy  had  not  yet  recovered  any  of  his  self- 
possession.  For  his  own  part,  he  felt  that  a  mis- 
take had  been  made,  which  must  soon  be  corrected. 
He  knew  nothing  of  the  wide  difference  of 
opinion  which  had  suddenly  become  apparent 
between  his  father  and  his  uncle,  and  he  was  sure 
that  the  latter  could  soon  effect  his  release. 


CHRISTY  FINDS  HIMSELF  A  PRISONER       185 

"  This  is  an  outrage !  "  exclaimed  Percy,  who 
perhaps  felt  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  say 
something,  now  that  Christy  had  come  within 
hearing  distance. 

"Perhaps  it  is,  Mr.  Pierson,"  replied  the 
sergeant.     "  But  that  isn't  any  of  my  business." 

"  You  will  be  held  responsible  for  it,  sir ! " 
protested  Percy. 

"  Perhaps  I  shall ;  but  I  shall  obey  my  orders," 
replied  the  soldier  doggedly. 

"  Who  gave  you  your  orders  ? "  demanded 
Percy  imperatively. 

"  Well,  I  don't  belong  to  the  class  in  catechism, 
and  I  don't  answer  all  the  questions  that  are  put 
to  me." 

"My  father  will  have  something  to  say  about 
this  business." 

"  He  can  say  all  he  likes,  but  he  need  not  say 
it  to  me ;  for  I  only  obey  my  orders,  and  I  have 
nothing  to  do  with  giving  them." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me  ?  "  asked 
Percy,  when  he  found  he  could  make  nothing  of 
the  sergeant. 

"  I  don't  know  what  they  will  do  with  you ;  but 
I  reckon  they  won't  shoot  you,  as  they  might  a 


186  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

fellow  whose  father  was  not  a  man  of  some  con- 
sequence," replied  the  sergeant,  as  he  ordered 
one  of  his  men  to  open  the  gate. 

"  Shoot  me ! "  exclaimed,  Percy,  evidently 
appalled  at  the  bare  possibility  of  such  an  event. 

"I  reckon  they  won't  do  that,"  added  the 
soldier. 

"  This  is  my  father's  plantation,  and  my  mother 
is  in  the  house,"  continued  Percy. 

"  She  can  stay  there :  we  shall  not  meddle  with 
her." 

"  But  you  are  going  to  take  me  away  from  her." 

"  You  look  like  a  stout  young  fellow,  and  you 
ought  to  be  able  to  get  along  for  a  while  without 
your  mother,"  chuckled  the  sergeant.  "  You 
belong  in  the  army ;  and  I  reckon  you  will  have 
to  go  back  to  it,  in  spite  of  your  mother." 

"  I  don't  belong  to  the  army,"  protested  Percy. 

"  Well,  they  call  you  a  deserter,  anyhow." 

Percy  seemed  to  be  overcome  by  this  statement, 
and  Christy  thought  there  was  something  more 
of  his  story  than  he  had  told  on  board  of  the 
Bellevite.  It  was  possible,  after  all,  that  Major 
Pierson  was  not  as  much  of  a  brute  as  he  had 
appeared   to   be.     But,  if   his   companion   was   a 


CHRISTY  FINDS  HIMSELF  A  PRISONER       187 

deserter,  he  certainly  did  not  come  under  that 
head  himself,  and  he  could  not  understand  why 
he  had  been  arrested. 

"  I  suppose  you  don't  claim  me  as  a  deserter,  do 
you  ?"  asked  Christy  good-naturedly. 

"I  don't  think  they  do,"  replied  the  sergeant, 
as  pleasantly  as  he  had  spoken  himself. 

"Then,  why  do  you  arrest  me?" 

"  My  orders  were  to  arrest  any  person  with  Mr. 
Pierson  ;  and  that  is  all  I  know  about  your  case, 
and  I  am  very  sorry  to  give  you  any  annoyance. 
Things  are  a  little  mixed,  and  I  hope  they  will 
soon  get  them  levelled  down.  If  you  don't  object, 
we  will  march." 

"  I  suppose  you  will  march  all  the  same,  if  I  do 
object,"  added  Christy.  "  I  was  not  aware  that  it 
was  a  crime  here  to  be  in  the  company  of  that 
young  man." 

"  I  reckon  I  was  ordered  to  arrest  you  as  a  mat- 
ter of  precaution  ;  and  I  dare  say  they  will  let  you 
return  as  soon  as  we  report  to  the  major,"  said  the 
sergeant,  leading  his  prisoner  through  the  gateway. 

The  other  men  took  Percy  by  the  arm ;  and, 
after  they  had  closed  the  gate,  they  followed  the 
road  for  a  considerable  distance,  and  then  struck 


188  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

across  the  fields.  Not  far  ahead,  Christy  saw  many 
lights ;  and  he  concluded  that  this  must  be  the 
location  of  the  mansion  of  Colonel  Pierson,  the 
father  of  Percy,  and  for  some  reason  best  known 
to  himself,  the  sergeant  desired  to  avoid  going 
very  near  it. 

A  march  of  a  short  distance  farther  across  the 
field  brought  them  to  a  road,  which  they  followed 
till  they  came  to  a  wagon  drawn  by  two  horses. 
The  animals  were  hitched  at  the  side  of  the  road, 
and  no  one  seemed  to  be  in  charge  of  the  team. 
But  the  sergeant  halted  his  party  at  this  point ; 
and,  leaving  the  prisoners  in  charge  of  his  men,  he 
went  to  the  wagon. 

"  Major  Pierson,"  said  he  ;  but  no  answer  came 
to  his  question,  and  he  repeated  it  with  no  better 
success. 

Then  he  mounted  the  seat  in  front  of  the 
wagon,  and  looked  over  into  the  body  of  it.  Then 
he  reached  over  ;  and  a  moment  later  the  form  of 
a  man  was  seen  to  rise  from  a  quantity  of  hay 
which  filled  the  bodj^. 

"  Is  that  you,  Spottswood  ? "  demanded  the 
rising  form. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  am  here ;  and  I  have  two  prisoners. 


CHRISTY    FINDS   HIMSELF  A   PRISONER       189 

One  of  them  is  your  brother,  and  I  don't  know 
who  the  other  is,"  replied  the  sergeant. 

"  Are  you  sure  that  one  of  them  is  my  brother  ?  " 
asked  the  major. 

"I  am  as  sure  as  I  can  be,  for  I  heard  the  other 
fellow  call  him  Percy  two  or  three  times  before  I 
stepped  in  front  of  them." 

"Don't  you  know  who  the  other  one  is?" 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea.  I  arrested  him  as 
you  told  me,  but  I  did  not  question  him." 

The  major  ordered  him  to  put  his  prisoners  into 
the  wagon. 


190  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER  XVII 

MAJOR   PIERSON   IS   PUZZLED 

Two  of  the  soldiers  were  placed  at  the  rear  of 
the  wagon,  one  took  his  place  on  the  hay  with 
Percy,  while  the  major  and  the  sergeant  seated 
themselves  on  the  cushion  in  front.  Spottswood 
took  the  reins;  and  the  officer  told  him  to  drive 
on,  without  saying  a  word  to  the  prisoners. 

It  was  quite  dark ;  and  Christy  had  not  the 
least  idea  where  he  was,  or  where  he  was  going. 
He  could  see  that  Major  Pierson  had  sent  this 
party  to  arrest  his  brother,  as  Percy  seemed  to 
fear  that  he  would  do,  and  had  remained  and  slept 
away  the  time  in  the  wagon  himself.  He  had 
been  introduced  to  the  major,  and  had  been 
treated  with  "  distinguished  consideration "  by 
him.  In  view  of  the  possible  relations  between 
him  and  Florry,  he  did  not  feel  much  concerned 
about  his  own  safety,  though  he  was  sorry  to  have 
his  father  and  sister  worry  over  his  absence. 


MAJOR  PIERSON  IS  PUZZLED  191 

"  Then,  it  seems  you  have  been  in  the  army, 
after  all,"  said  he  to  his  fellow-prisoner,  after  they 
had  gone  some  distance. 

"  I  never  belonged  to  the  army,"  he  replied 
decidedly. 

"  Did  you  put  your  name  down  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  did ;  but  I  supposed  I  was  to  be  a 
captain,  or  something  of  that  sort.  When  I  found 
I  must  go  as  a  common  soldier,  mixed  up  with  all 
sorts  of  people,  I  couldn't  stand  it.  I  applied  for 
my  discharge ;  but  they  would  not  give  it  to  me, 
and  I  went  home  without  it." 

"  That  looks  very  much  like  desertion,"  added 
Christy,  and  the  major  went  up  somewhat  in  his 
estimation. 

"  But  it  was  not  desertion  ;  for  I  applied  for  my 
discharge,  and  all  they  had  to  do  was  to  give  it 
to  me.  They  understood  it  so,  for  they  did  not 
come  to  the  house  after  me,"  argued  Percy. 
"  Then,  when  my  father  went  to  Nassau,  he  took 
me  with  him.  But  the  surgeon  said  I  was  not 
fit  for  the  army,  for  I  had  indications  of  varicose 
veins.  My  father  sent  the  certificate  to  the 
authorities,  and  applied  for  my  discharge." 

"  Was  it  ever  granted  ?  " 


192  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  I  suppose  it  was,  but  I  don't  know." 

"  If  it  had  been,  your  brother  would  know 
about  it." 

"  Will  your  uncle  make  you  join  the  army, 
Mr.  Pierson  ?  " 

"  No  :  my  uncle  has  no  authority  over  me,  and 
he  cannot  make  me  join  the  army,"  replied  Christy. 

"  Where  is  your  father  ?  " 

"  He  was  at  my  uncle's  plantation.  I  think  we 
have  kept  up  this  farce  long  enough,  Percy," 
said  Christy,  laughing.  "  My  father  is  the  owner 
of  the  Bellevite." 

"  What  did  you  tell  me  your  name  was  Percy 
Pierson  for  ? "  demanded  the  other  prisoner. 

"  For  the  same  reason  that  I  told  you  the 
steamer  belonged  to  the  Chinese  government, 
and  a  dozen  other  things  of  the  same  sort." 

"  What  is  your  name,  then  ?  " 

"  Christopher  Passford ;  but  I  am  commonly 
called  Christy." 

"  Then,  you  have  been  fooling  me  ?  " 

"  You  knew  very  well  that  I  had  been  fooling 
you." 

"Then,  you  are  the  son  of  the  owner  of  the 
Bellevite." 


MAJOR   PIERSON   IS   PUZZLED  193 

"  I  am." 

"  Then,  you  can  get  me  a  place  on  board  of  her." 
"  Perhaps  I  can.     We  will  see  about  that." 
Christy    doubted    if    their     political     opinions 
would  permit  them  to  serve  on  the  deck  of  the 
same  vessel,  but   lie   did  not   suggest   any  thing 
of  this  kind.     He  had  been  introduced  to  Major 
Pierson  under  his  real  name,  and  he  was  certain 
to    be    identified    by    him    as    soon    as    the    light 
permitted  him  to   see  his  face ;  and  he  had  made 
the  best  of  it  by  telling   Percy  the  truth  before 
•he  found  it  out  himself. 

"  You  haven't  told  me  who  the  other  prisoner 
is,  Spottswood,"  said  the  major,  when  they  had 
ridden  some  distance  in  silence. 

"  I  don't  know  who  he  is,"  replied  the  sergeant. 
"  I  never  saw  him  before  in  my  life,  so  far  as  I 
know." 

"  Didn't  he  tell  you  who  he  was  ?  " 
"  He    did    not,    and    I    did   not   ask   him   any 
questions." 

That  was  all  that  was  said  about  it ;  and  the 
major  relapsed  into  silence,  and  Christy  concluded 
that  he  had  gone  to  sleep  again.  The  wagon 
continued  on  the  journey,  though  at  a  very  slow 


194  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

pace,  for  the  road  could  hardly  have  been  any 
worse.  At  the  end  of  about  two  hours  more, 
the  vehicle  halted  near  a  sheet  of  water  which 
looked  as  though  it  might  be  a  river,  or  an  arm 
of  Mobile  Bay. 

The  road  appeared  to  end  at  a  rude  sort  of 
wharf;  but  there  was  no  person  in  the  vicinity, 
no  house,  and  no  craft  of  any  kind  in  the  water, 
so  far  as  Christy  could  see  when  he  was  helped 
out  of  the  wagon.  Percy  was  assisted  to  the 
ground  also ;  and  the  two  soldiers  at  the  rear  of 
the  wagon,  who  had  gone  to  sleep,  were  waked, 
and  ordered  to  get  out. 

"  We  shall  not  want  the  wagon  any  more," 
said  the  major.  "  You  can  send  Boyce  back  to 
the  house  with  it." 

"  It  is  five  miles  from  here,  and  he  will  not  get 
back  till   nearly  morning." 

"  We  can  wait  for  him.  The  Leopard  will  not 
be  here  for  some    time." 

"  I  think  we  ought  to  send  two  men,  major," 
suggested  the  sergeant. 

"Why  two?" 

"  For  company  :  one  of  them  may  get  asleep, 
and  two  will  get  back  sooner  than  one." 


MAJOR  PIERSON   IS   PUZZLED  195 

"  They  might  as  well  all  of  them  go,  for  they 
can  do  nothing  here,"  added  the  major  with  a 
terrific  yawn. 

Two  men  were  sent  away  with  the  wagon. 
The  most  of  the  hay  in  it  was  taken  out ;  and 
with  it  the  superior  officer  made  a  bed  for  himself, 
and  was  soon  asleep  again.  The  sergeant  and 
the  remaining  soldier  took  their  knapsacks  from 
a  tree  where  they  had  put  them  before,  and  it 
was  decided  that  one  of  them  might  sleep  while 
the  other  kept  guard  over  the  prisoners.  Spotts- 
wood  was  the  first  to  take  his  turn,  and  his 
companion  stretched  himself  on  the  planks  of  the 
wharf. 

The  sergeant  brought  out  the  knapsacks  of  the 
two  absent  soldiers,  and  gave  the  blankets  to 
Christy  and  Percy,  both  of  whom  were  sleepy 
enough  to  follow  the  example  of  the  others. 
Spottswood  assisted  them  very  kindly,  spreading 
out  the  blankets  for  them,  and  covering  them 
afterwards;  for,  as  their  hands  were  tied  behind 
them,  they  were  almost  helpless. 

The  two  prisoners  soon  dropped  asleep ;  and 
they  knew  nothing  more  till  after  daylight,  when 
Christy  was  waked  by  the  hissing  of  steam  at  the 


196  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

rude  wharf.  The  two  soldiers  who  had  been  sent 
away  with  the  wagon  were  asleep  on  the  planks, 
though  neither  had  a  blanket.  The  major  had  not 
been  disturbed  by  the  noise,  for  he  was  farther 
from  it  than  the  others. 

With  some  difficult}''  Christy  got  upon  his  feet, 
and  looked  about  him.  A  tug-boat  lay  at  the 
wharf,  with  the  steam  escaping  from  her  pipe. 
There  was  nothing  else  to  be  seen  in  the  vicinity. 
The  sheet  of  water,  which  was  apparently  half  a 
mile  wide,  had  a  bend  some  distance  from  the 
wharf,  so  that  he  could  not  see  any  farther;  but 
he  had  no  difficulty  in  coming  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  water  was  an  arm  of  the  bay. 

On  board  of  the  Leopard,  for  the  name  was  on 
the  front  of  the  pilot-house,  he  could  see  only  two 
men,  one  of  whom  came  out  of  the  engine-room  ; 
and  he  judged  that  they  were  the  pilot  and 
engineer.  Doubtless  the  former  was  also  the 
captain  of  the  craft. 

While  one  of  the  two  men  seated  himself  on 
the  rail,  the  other  came  on  shore.  He  was  a  man 
of  very  small  stature,  and  looked  as  though  his 
health  was  very  poor.  Indeed,  his  step  was  quite 
feeble,  and   he    seemed  to  have  hardly  strength 


MAJOR  P1EHSON  IS   PUZZLED  197 

enough  to  handle  his  frame.  As  the  tug  had  just 
come  in,  doubtless  he  had  been  on  duty  the  whole 
or  a  portion  of  the  night,  which  may  have 
explained  his  exhausted  condition. 

"  Good-morning,  Captain  Pecklar,"  said  the 
sentinel  on  duty  at  the  wharf. 

"  Good  morning,  Tubbs.  Where  is  Major  Pier- 
son  ? "  asked  the  captain  of  the  Leopard,  in  a  very 
faint  voice. 

"  He  is  still  asleep,  and  he  has  his  bed  at  the 
foot  of  that  tree  yonder,"  replied  the  sentinel, 
pointing  at  it.  "  How  do  you  find  yourself  this 
morning?     Any  better?" 

"  About  the  same ;  I  am  about  used  up  for  this 
world,"  replied  Captain  Pecklar,  continuing  his 
painful  walk  towards  the  tree  indicated. 

"  Is  that  the  captain  of  the  Leopard  ? "  asked 
Christy. 

"Yes,  poor  fellow!  He  came  down  here  two 
years  ago  from  somewhere  North,  almost  gone  in 
consumption.  He  got  a  little  better ;  but  he  is 
worse  again,  and  I  don't  believe  he  will  last  much 
longer,"  replied  the  sentry. 

"Has  he  been  out  all  night  on  the  steamer?" 
inquired  Christy,  who  felt  that  it  was  his  duty  to 


198  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

obtain  all  the  information  he  could  in  regard 
to  this  steamer,  as  it  was  in  the  service  of  the 
commander  of  Fort  Gaines. 

"  I  don't  know  where  he  has  been ;  but  I 
suppose  he  has  been  on  duty  all  night,  and  that 
don't  agree  with  him  at  all.  We  came  up  here 
yesterday  afternoon  —  Well,  never  mind  what  we 
have  been  about.  I  forgot  that  you  were  a  pris- 
oner ;  and  you  may  be  a  Yankee,  for  aught  I  know." 

Before  Christy  had  time  to  make  any  reply,  the 
sentinel  walked  away,  and  the  major  was  seen 
coming  from  his  bed  with  Captain  Pecklar.  They 
went  to  the  wharf  together,  where  they  seated 
themselves  on  a  box  which  lay  there.  The  pris- 
oner turned  away  from  them ;  and  the  major  took 
no  notice  of  him,  and  did  not  appear  to  see  him, 
or  he  would  certainly  have  identified  him. 

Christy's  bed  was  just  behind  them,  when  they 
had  seated  themselves ;  and  he  dropped  down  on 
his  blanket,  rolled  it  about  him  as  well  as  he 
could,  and  then  pretended  to  be  asleep,  as  Percy 
was  still,  in  spite  of  the  noise  of  the  escaping 
steam  on  board  of  the  boat. 

"  What  have  you  done  with  your  men,  Captain 
Pecklar?"  asked  the  major. 


MAJOR  PIERSON   IS   PUZZLED  199 

"  I  have  just  told  you  that  the  steamer  had 
changed  her  position,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  I  did  not  understand  you,"  returned  the  major. 
"  Do  you  mean  that  she  has  left  the  wharf?  " 

"  I  do :  she  was  out  at  least  two  miles  from  the 
shore,"  added  Captain  Pecklar. 

"  Two  miles  from  the  shore  !  "  exclaimed  Major 
Pierson.     "  What  does  that  mean  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  Lieutenant  Dallberg  did 
not  know  what  to  make  of  it ;  and  he  decided  to 
take  his  two  men  to  the  shore,  and  investigate  the 
matter.     He  directed  me  to  report  this  to  you." 

"But  when  did  the  Bellevite  leave  the  wharf  ?  " 
asked  the  major,  evidently  very  much  puzzled  at 
what  he  regarded  as  the  singular  conduct  of  the 
owner  of  the  steamer. 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  It  was  after  ten  o'clock  in 
the  evening  when  we  first  saw  her  out  in  the  bay." 

"  Was  she  at  anchor?  " 

"  I  think  not.  I  was  ordered  not  to  go  Very 
near  her,  and  I  could  not  tell." 

"  Do  you  know  whether  or  not  Captain  Passford 
is  on  board  of  her  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do  not.  In  fact,  I  know  nothing 
at  all   about   her,  except   that   she   has   left   the 


200  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

wharf  and  come  out  into  the  bay.  I  think  I 
heard  her  screw  in  motion,  though  I  am  not  sure  ; 
and  that  makes  me  think  that  she  is  not  at  anchor. 
Mr.  Dallberg  thought  he  ought  to  go  on  shore, 
visit  Colonel  Passford,  and  obtain  further  informa- 
tion if  he  could." 

The  major  ordered  the  captain  to  embark  the 
party  at  once. 


MORNING  TRIP  OF  THE  LEOPARD  201 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE   MORNING   TRIP   OF   THE   LEOPARD 

If  Major  Pierson  had  had  any  curiosity  at  all  in 
regard  to  the  person  captured  by  the  soldiers  with 
his  brother,  he  appeared  to  have  forgotten  all 
about  him.  He  took  no  notice  of  him  after  he 
left  his  bed  of  hay,  but  then  he  was  evidently  very 
much  disturbed  by  the  fact  that  the  Bellevite  had 
left  the  wharf. 

Christy  Passford  was  quite  as  much  astonished 
as  the  major  when  he  learned  that  the  steamer  had 
left  her  berth  at  the  wharf,  and  he  was  utterly 
unable  to  account  for  the  change  of  position.  The 
movement  had  been  made  since  he  left  his  uncle's 
mansion ;  for  at  that  time  the  two  brothers  were 
still  in  the  library,  and  he  had  no  knowledge 
whatever  of  what  was  passing  between  them. 

The  major  ordered  all  his  men  on  board  the 
Leopard,  and  directed  the  sergeant  to  conduct  the 


202  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

prisoners  to  the  deck  of  the  tug.  Percy  was 
waked  when  he  was  wanted,  and  lie  had  slept 
soundly  till  that  time.  With  their  hands  still  tied 
behind  them,  they  were  conducted  to  the  after- 
deck  of  the  tug,  where  there  was  a  small  space 
from  which  opened  the  stateroom  of  the  captain. 

"  I  might  as  well  jump  overboard  first  as  last," 
said  Percy  bitterly,  as  he  seated  himself  in  the 
place  assigned  to  him  by  Spottswood. 

"  It  is  hardly  worth  your  while  to  do  that,  Percy. 
I  don't  think  your  brother  is  likely  to  do  you  any 
harm,"  replied  Christy. 

"  I  would  rather  be  drowned  in  deep  water  than 
be  sent  into  the  army  as  a  common  soldier,"  said 
the  victim,  as  he  went  to  the  rail  and  looked  over 
into  the  water. 

But  his  companion  was  perfectly  confident  that 
he  would  not  jump  overboard  while  his  hands 
were  tied  behind  him ;  for  the  chances  were  all 
against  him,  though  he  might  be  willing  to  punish 
his  brother  by  making  a  demonstration  in  the 
direction  indicated. 

"  The  water  is  too  cold  at  this  time  in  the  morn- 
ing, Percy,"  said  Christy  with  a  smile.  "I  think 
you  ought  to  give  your  brother  the  credit  of  having 


MORNING  TRIP  OP  THE  LEOPARD  203 

the  reputation  of  your  family  at  heart.  If  I 
had  a  brother,  I  had  about  as  lief  have  him  drown 
himself  as  desert  from  the  army." 

"  I  don't  call  it  deserting,"  replied  Percy  rather 
warmly. 

"  You  can  call  it  what  you  like,  but  that  is  what 
it  was." 

"It  is  no  use  to  talk  with  you  about  it.  Where 
are  we  going  now  ?  "  demanded  Percy  impatiently. 

"  We  are  going  to  look  out  for  the  Bellevite, 
and  perhaps  you  can  get  on  board  her  again," 
suggested  Christy. 

"  Do  you  think  I  can  ?  "  asked  the  deserter  with 
renewed  interest. 

"  I  am  afraid  your  brother  will  look  out  too 
sharply  for  you.  He  has  you  now,  and  he  will 
hold  on  this  time." 

Christy  had  little  sympathy  for  his  companion. 
He  was  an  able-bodied  young  man  of  eighteen, 
with  influence  enough  behind  him  to  give  him  a 
good  show  in  the  ranks  if  he  did  his  duty.  But 
he  was  the  youngest  child  of  his  father  and 
mother ;  and  he  had  evidently  been  spoiled  by 
indulgence,  so  that  he  was  not  fit  for  the  stern 
duties  of  the  present  emergency. 


204  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

The  steamer  seemed  to  be  very  short  handed, 
and  doubtless  part  of  the  work  on  board  was 
done  by  the  soldiers,  for  the  tug  seemed  to  be 
in  the  employ  of  the  fort.  There  was  no  crew, 
so  far  as  Christy  could  judge,  except  the  captain 
and  engineer;  and  both  of  these  seemed  to  be 
invalids,  for  the  latter  was  so  lame  he  could 
hardly  go.  The  soldiers  hauled  in  the  fasts, 
and  seemed  to  be  at  home  with  this  sort  of 
work. 

The  Leopard  backed  out  from  the  wharf,  came 
about,  and  headed  down  the  inlet,  or  whatever 
it  was.  She  had  hardly  left  the  pier  before 
Major  Pierson  appeared  on  the  quarter-deck, 
which  had  been  assigned  for  the  use  of  the 
prisoners.  His  gaze  was  first  fixed  on  Percy ; 
for  the  other  prisoner  was  looking  astern,  in  order 
to  obtain  some  idea  of  where  he  was,  if  he  could, 
for  he  thought  such  information  might  be  of 
some  use  to  him  in  the  future. 

"Well,  Percy,  how  goes  it  now?"  asked  the 
major. 

Christy  heard  the  voice,  which  was  the  .first  he 
knew  of  the  presence  of  a  third  person,  and 
he   turned   about.      The   major  started   back   as 


MORNING   TRIP   OF  THE   LEOPARD  205 

though  he  had  seeo  his  father  with  his  hands  tied 
behind  him  by  his  order. 

"  Good  Heaven  !  Mr.  Passford  !  "  exclaimed  the 
major ;  and  Christy  was  satisfied  that  his  aston- 
ishment was  sincere. 

"  That  is  certainly  my  name :  I  haven't  for- 
gotten it,  if  I  am  a  prisoner  with  my  hands  tied 
behind  me,"  replied  Christy,  as  good-naturedly  as 
though  he  had  had  no  grievance. 

"  This  is  all  a  mistake ! "  ejaculated  Major 
Pierson,  evidently  greatly  disturbed  by  the  dis- 
covery he  had  just  made,  as  he  rushed  upon  the 
prisoner,  turned  him  around,  and  proceeded  to 
untie  the  line  which  bound  him. 

"I  thought  it  must  be  a  mistake,"  added 
Christy. 

"You  must  have  been  with  this  brother  of 
mine.  I  told  Spottswood  to  arrest  Percy,  for 
he  has  disgraced  himself  and  his  family ;  and  I 
told  him  to  capture  whoever  might  be  with  him, 
for  I  did  not  care  to  leave  behind  an  informant 
of  what  had  been  done,  for  it  would  only  have 
made  my  mother  feel  badly.  That  is  really  the 
whole  of  it.  I  am  very  sorry  indeed  that  you 
were  subjected  to  this  annoyance,  Mr.  Passford; 


206  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

and  I  assure  you  I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to 
atone  for  my  offence." 

"  I  am  satisfied,  Major  Pierson  ;  and  the  only 
thing  that  disturbs  me  is  the  fact  that  my  father 
and  sister  will  worry  about  my  absence,"  replied 
Christy. 

"You  are  no  longer  a  prisoner,  Mr.  Passford, 
and  you  are  at  liberty  to  go  where  you  please." 

"  But  my  limits  are  rather  circumscribed  on 
board  this  tug." 

"But  I  will  soon  put  you  on  board  your  father's 
steamer." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  that  is  all  I  can  desire." 

"  Can't  you  do  as  much  as  that  for  me, 
Lincly?"  asked  Percy,  when  he  saw  that  his 
brother  was  about  to  leave  him. 

"  If  you  say  that  you  will  return  to  your  place 
in  your  regiment,  I  will  release  you  at  once," 
replied  the  brother. 

"  I  won't  do  that,"  answered  Percy  without  any 
hesitation.  "But  I  want  to  go  into  the  navy. 
I  am  better  fitted  for  a  sailor  than  I  am  for  a 
soldier." 

"  The  first  thing  is  to  wipe  out  the  disgrace 
you  have  cast  upon  yourself  and  your   family," 


MOKNING  TKIP  OF  THE  LEOPAKD  207 

added  the  major  warmly.  "  I  induced  your 
officers  to  look  upon  it  as  a  freak  of  a  boy,  and 
by  returning  to  your  duty  you  can  soon  wipe  out 
the  stigma." 

"  I  shall  not  become  a  common  soldier  if  I  can 
help  it.  My  father  and  mother  will  stand  by  me, 
if  the  rest  of  you  do  not,"  said  Percy. 

"  That's  enough ;  and  you  will  go  back  to  the 
army,  whether  or  not  you  are  willing,"  added 
the  major,  as  he  turned  on  his  heel. 

Christy  followed  him  to  the  forecastle  of  the 
tug,  where  a  rather  heavy  gun  was  mounted, 
which  took  up  most  of  the  space. 

"  Take  a  seat,  Mr.  Passford,"  said  the  major, 
giving  him  a  stool,  while  he  took  another  himself. 
"  It  looks  as  though  your  father  changed  his  plans 
rather  suddenly  last  evening." 

"  I  was  not  aware  of  it,"  replied  Christy. 

"The  Bellevite  was  taken  from  the  wharf 
where  you  landed  some  time  in  the  evening,  and 
came  out  into  the  bay,  where  she  seems  to  be 
waiting  for  something,  I  don't  know  what.  As  I 
understand  the  matter,  your  father  has  sold  the 
steamer  to  the  Confederacy." 

"Where  did  you  learn  that,  Major  Pierson?" 


208  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

asked  Christy,  who  had  not  heard  any  such 
story. 

"  You  certainly  came  from  Nassau  ?  " 

"We  did." 

"  And  you  met  my  father  there  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  meet  him,  but  my  father  did." 

"I  understood  that  my  father  bought  this 
steamer,  or  that  he  bargained  for  her  in  some 
manner,  for  the  use  of  the  Confederacy." 

"  I  was  not  present  at  the  interview  between 
your  father  and  mine,  and  I  do  not  know  just 
what  passed  between  them." 

"  And  I  understood  that  he  sent  Percy  to  act  as 
a  sort  of  agent  for  the  delivery  of  the  vessel ; 
though  it  still  puzzles  me  to  comprehend  how  my 
father  should  do  such  a  thing,  especially  when  he 
knew  that  the  boy  would  be  arrested  as  a  deserter 
if  he  showed  his  face  anywhere  near  Mobile." 

Christy  felt  that  his  tongue  might  be  a  danger- 
ous member,  and  he  was  not  disposed  to  talk  about 
the  matter  at  all.  All  the  information  which  the 
major  had  derived  from  Captain  Passford  and 
others  had  been  accepted  from  inference ;  for  the 
owner  of  the  Bellevite  certainly  had  not  said  that 
the  steamer  was  for  the  use  of  the  Confederacv, 


MORNING   TRIP   OF   THE   LEOPARD  209 

and  he  would  have  blown  her  up  rather  than 
admit  any  thing  of  the  sort. 

"  It  looked  to  me  as  though  every  thing  was  all 
right  about  the  steamer,  or  I  would  not  have  let 
her  pass  the  fort ;  and  the  commander  at  Fort 
Morgan  was  as  well  satisfied  as  I  was,  after  I  had 
explained  the  situation  to  him." 

Major  Pierson  looked  at  Christy  as  though  he 
expected  him  to  talk  on  the  subject  before  them ; 
but  the  latter  would  not  say  any  thing,  for  he  saw 
that  he  was  in  an  extremely  delicate  position.  He 
made  some  sort  of  answers,  but  they  amounted  to 
nothing. 

"  I  cannot  understand  why  Captain  Passford  has 
moved  the  Bellevite  from  the  wharf,"  continued 
the  major. 

"I  am  as  much  in  the  dark  as  you  are,  sir.  1 
spent  the  afternoon  with  my  sister,  and  my  uncle 
Homer  and  my  father  were  in  the  library  together 
all  this  time,"  replied  Christy.  "  I  have  no  idea 
what  they  were  talking  about.  Just  at  dark,  I 
saw  Percy  pass  the  window ;  and  I  went  out  for  a 
little  walk.  I  was  arrested  by  your  men  soon  after. 
Not  a  word  had  been  said  in  my  hearing  about 
moving  the  steamer.     That  is  all  I  know  about  the 


210  TAKEN   BY  THE   ENEMY 

matter,  and  I  am  as  much  surprised  as  you  can  be 
at  the  change  which  has  been  made." 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  every  thing  connected 
with  the  steamer  is  all  right.  I  know  that  your 
father  is  a  Northern  man,  but  I  am  confident  that 
he  will  be  on  the  right  side  in  this  conflict,"  added 
the  major. 

"  He  will  certainly  be  on  the  right  side,"  said 
Christy ;  but  he  had  gone  far  enough  to  know  that 
there  were  two  right  sides  to  the  question,  and 
one  seemed  to  him  to  be  as  honest,  earnest,  and 
resolute  as  the  other. 

"  We  shall  soon  know  something  more  about  it," 
added  the  major,  evidently  disappointed  at  not 
being  able  to  obtain  any  information  from  the 
owner's  son. 

The  tug  went  out  into  the  bay,  and  then 
changed  her  course  to  the  eastward.  One  of  the 
soldiers  went  to  the  galley,  and  breakfast  was 
served  to  the  major  and  his  guest  in  the  captain's 
room;  and  Percy  was  released  long  enough  to 
take  the  meal  with  them.  But  he  was  sullen,  and 
even  morose,  in  view  of  the  fate  that  awaited 
him. 

"  Boat  just   come  round  that  point,"   said  the 


MORNING  TRIP  OF  THE  LEOPARD  211 

captain  from  the  pilot-house,  when  the  party  had 
returned  to  the  forecastle. 

Captain  Pecklar  seemed  to  be  hardly  able  to 
speak ;  he  was  so  exhausted  by  his  night  watch, 
and  by  constant  fits  of  coughing,  that  he  could 
hardly  make  himself  heard. 

"  What  boat  is  it,  Pecklar  ?  "  asked  the  major, 
straining  his  eyes  to  discover  it.     "  I  don't  see  it." 

"  Take  my  glass,  and  you  can  see  it,"  added  the 
captain,  more  faintly  than  before.  "I  don't  think 
I  can  stand  it  any  longer,  Major  Pierson." 

"  But  we  can't  get  along  without  you,  Pecklar. 
We  haven't  another  hand  that  knows  how  to 
steer,'"  replied  the  major,  as  he  hastened  up  to  the 
pilot-house,  followed  by  Christ}'. 

Captain  Pecklar  had  fainted  and  fallen  from  the 
wheel. 


212  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE   REPORT   OF   THE   SCOUT   FROM   THE   SHORE 

Captain  Pecklar  had  held  out  as  long  as  it 
was  possible  for  him  to  stand  it,  and  he  had 
only  given  up  when  his  senses  deserted  him. 
Major  Pierson  raised  him  from  his  position  on 
the  floor  of  the  pilot-house,  and,  with  Christy's 
assistance,  bore  him  out  into  the  air. 

The  wheel  had  gone  over  when  the  sick  man 
could  no  longer  hold  it,  and  the  tug  was  begin- 
ning to  whirl  about  in  an  erratic  manner,  when 
the  major  rang  the  bell  to  stop  the  engine. 
The  captain  was  carried  down  to  his  room,  and 
put  into  his  berth,  where  one  of  the  soldiers 
was  detailed  to  act  as  his  nurse. 

"I  haven't  a  man  on  board  that  knows  the 
first  thing  about  handling  a  steamboat ;  and  I  am 
not  a  bit  wiser  myself,"  said  the  major,  when 
the  sick  man  had  been  disposed  of.     Every  man 


THE   REPORT   OF   THE   SCOUT  213 

that  is  fit  to  be  made  into  a  soldier  is  sent  to 
the  army ;  and  we  have  nothing  but  the  lame, 
and  the  halt,  and  the  blind  to  handle  these  boats." 

"  It  does  not  look  like  good  policy,"  added 
Christy. 

"  Dallberg  and  his  two  men  are  soldiers,  and 
they  know  no  more  about  a  steamboat  than  the 
rest  of  us,"  continued  Major  Pierson.  "It  looks 
as  though  we  should  have  to  stay  here  till  some 
other  boat  comes  along  ;  and  that  may  be  in  three 
days  or  a  week,  for  steamers  have  no  occasion  to 
come  up  here  now." 

"  Perhaps  you  may  find  a  pilot  among  the  men 
in  that  boat,"  suggested  Christy,  as  he  looked 
about  the  pilot-house,  where  the  conversation 
took  place. 

The  captain's  glass  was  lying  on  a  shelf  in 
front  of  the  wheel,  and  he  took  a  look  through 
it  in  order  to  find  the  boat.  After  searching  in 
every  direction,  he  discovered  the  boat,  which 
was  pulled  by  two  men,  with  a  third  in  the 
stern-sheets.  He  indicated  the  position  of  it  to 
the  major,  and  gave  him  the  glass. 

"  That's  Dallberg,  without  any  doubt ;  but  he 
must    be    five    miles    off.      He   can't   reach   the 


214  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

steamer  for  a  long  time,"  said  the  major,  when 
he  had  examined  the  boat.  "  But  we  shall  be  no 
better  off  than  we  are  now  when  she  gets  here, 
for  not  one  of  those  in  it  is  a  sailor." 

Christy  was  not  a  little  interested  in  the 
situation ;  for  he  thought  his  father  must  have 
gone  on  board  of  the  Bellevite,  or  she  would 
not  have  changed  her  position.  It  was  all  a 
mystery  to  him  as  well  as  to  the  commandant  of 
Fort  Gaines,  and  the  boat  in  the  distance  had  been 
to  the  shore  for  the  purpose  of  investigating  it. 

He  had  an  idea  in  his  head,  and  he  continued 
to  examine  the  interior  of  the  pilot-house  till  he 
found  a  number  of  paper  rolls  in  a  drawer,  which 
looked  very  much  like  local  charts  of  the  bay. 
He  examined  several  of  them,  and  found  one 
which  covered  the  portion  of  the  waters  around 
him.  He  had  noted  the  direction  taken  by  the 
Bellevite  the  day  before,  and  he  had  no  difficulty 
in  placing  the  inlet  where  she  had  moored  at  the 
wharf. 

"What  have  you  got  there,  Mr.  Passford?" 
asked  the  major,  who  had  been  looking  on  the 
floor,  thinking  what  he  should  do  in  his  present 
dilemma. 


"You  a  Sailok?"     (Page  215) 


THE  EEPORT  OF  THE  SCOUT  215 

"It  is  a  chart  of  these  waters,  which  appears 
to  have  been  considerably  improved  with  a  pen 
and  ink,"  replied  Christy,  still  examining  it. 

"  That  is  the  work  of  Captain  Pecklar.  They 
call  him  the  best  pilot  for  Mobile  Bay  there  is 
about  here,  though  he  has  been  here  but  two 
years." 

"Here  is  the  inlet,  or  river,  where  we  passed 
the  night ;  and  the  captain  has  marked  the  wharf 
on  it." 

"  What  good  is  the  chart  without  a  man  that 
knows  how  to  steer  a  steamer  ?  "  asked  the  major, 
who  was  becoming  very  impatient  in  the  presence 
of  the  delay  that  confronted  him  ;  for  the  illness  of 
Captain  Pecklar  deprived  him  of  the  ability  to 
do  any  thing,  even  to  return  to  the  fort. 

"  You  forget  that  I  am  a  sailor,  Major  Pierson," 
said  Christy. 

"  You  a  sailor  ?  I  thought  you  were  the  son 
of  a  millionnaire,  who  could  not  possibly  know 
any  thing  except  how  to  eat  and  sleep,"  replied 
the  soldier,  laughing. 

"  I  have  steered  the  Bellevite  for  a  great  many 
hundred  miles,  and  my  father  says  I  am  com- 
petent to  do  duty  as  a  quartermaster." 


216  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  You  astonish  me ;  and,  as  we  are  both  engaged 
in  the  same  good  cause,  I  am  heartily  delighted 
to  find  that  you  are  a  sailor." 

"  Probably  I  shall  astonish  you  still  more  before 
we  have  got  through.  With  this  chart  before 
me,  I  have  no  doubt  I  can  find  my  way  about 
here  in  the  Leopard,"  said  Christy. 

"  Then  I  give  you  the  command  of  the  steamer 
in  the  absence  of  Captain  Pecklar,"  continued  the 
major.  "  This  boat  and  another  are  in  the  service 
of  the  forts ;  and  if  you  don't  want  to  join 
the  army  with  Percy,  perhaps  I  can  obtain  the 
appointment  for  you,  especially  as  you  are  hardly 
old  enough  to  go  into  the  ranks.  We  will  see 
about  that." 

"We  will  leave  all  that  open  for  future  action, 
if  you  please,  Major  Pierson,"  replied  Christy, 
as  he  rang  the  bell  for  the  steamer  to  go  ahead. 

The  major  watched  him  with  the  most  intense 
interest,  as  though  he  feared  that  the  young  man 
would  prove  to  be  a  failure  as  a  steamboat  captain. 
But  the  steamer  went  ahead  at  the  sound  of  the 
bell,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  Christy  had  her  on 
her  course  in  the  direction  of  the  approaching 
boat.     He  examined  the  chart  very  carefully,  and 


THE  REPORT  OF  THE  SCOUT  217 

satisfied  himself  that  there  was  water  enough  for 
the  tug  anywhere  outside  the  headlands  which 
projected  into  the  bay. 

The  Leopard  held  her  course  as  steadily  as 
though  the  sick  captain  were  still  at  the  wheel ; 
and  the  major  was  entirely  satisfied  with  the 
qualifications  of  the  new  master,  after  he  had 
watched  him  for  a  while. 

"Spottswood,  how  is  the  captain?"  called  the 
major  from  the  pilot-house. 

"  Just  the  same :  he  don't  seem  to  be  any 
better,"  replied  the  sergeant. 

"  He  ought  to  have  a  doctor ;  for  the  poor  fellow 
may  die  here,  away  from  any  proper  attendance," 
said  the  major,  with  more  feeling  than  the  new 
captain  supposed  he  possessed. 

"  There  is  a  very  skilful  surgeon  on  board  of 
the  Bellevite,"  suggested  Christy.  "  Dr.  Linscott 
served  in  the  army  in  Mexico,  and  had  a  large 
practice  in  New  York." 

"  Then  he  shall  see  Pecklar.  Dr.  Linscott  is 
just  the  sort  of  a  surgeon  we  want  in  our  army  ; 
and  I  suppose  he  would  not  be  on  board  of  the 
Bellevite  if  he  was  not  of  our  way  of  thinking," 
added  the  major. 


218  TAKEN"  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Christy  knew  he  was  nothing  but  a  Union  man, 
and  not  of  the  way  of  thinking  which  the  soldier 
suggested  :  so  he  said  nothing.  The  Leopard  was 
a  faster  tug  than  the  one  which  had  come  off  from 
Fort  Gaines,  and  she  came  up  with  the  boat  which 
contained  Lieutenant  Dallberg  and  his  two  men, 
the  latter  of  whom  were  nearly  exhausted  with 
the  long  pull  they  had  taken ;  for,  as  they  were  not 
sailors,  they  did  not  row  to  the  best  advantage. 

The  new  captain  rang  the  bell  to  stop  her,  as 
soon  as  the  boat  came  near,  and  the  party  came  on 
board.  The  two  men  seated  themselves  on  the 
rail  as  though  they  never  intended  to  do  another 
stroke  of  work,  for  they  had  been  using  the  oars 
most  of  the  time  since  the  evening  before. 

"Come  up  here,  Dallberg,"  called  the  major 
from  the  pilot-house. 

The  lieutenant  looked  as  though  he  had  just 
been  through  one  war ;  for  he  had  slept  none  the 
night  before,  and  had  been  on  duty  without  inter- 
mission. He  came  to  the  hurricane-deck,  and 
entered  the  pilot-house,  where  he  dropped  on  the 
sofa  abaft  the  wheel  as  though  he  were  not  in 
much  better  condition  than  the  captain  when  he 
fell  at  his  post. 


THE  REPORT  OF  THE  SCOUT  219 

"You  have  made  "a  night  of  it,  Dallberg,"  the 
major  began,  seating  himself  by  the  side  of  the 
lieutenant. 

"  I  am  about  used  up,  major.  I  believe  I  walked 
ten  miles  on  shore  ;  and  I  am  not  as  strong  as  I 
wish  I  was,"  replied  Mr.  Dallberg.  "  But  I  found 
out  all  I  wanted  to  know,  and  I  expected  the 
Leopard  would  be  somewhere  near  the  creek." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Major  Pierson,"  said 
Christy,  who  was  standing  at  the  wheel.  "  What 
am  I  to  do  now  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  in  a  moment.  —  Can  you  tell  me, 
Dallberg,  where  the  Bellevite  is  at  the  present 
time  ? "  asked  the  major,  turning  to  the  lieu- 
tenant. 

"  She  seems  to  be  running  up  and  down  across 
the  head  of  the  bay.  She  is  beyond  that  point 
now,  and  you  will  see  her  when  you  go  within  a 
mile  of  the  land,"  replied  the  lieutenant. 

"  Have  you  been  near  her  ?  " 

"Not  within  a  mile  of  her,  I  should  say." 

"  All  right ,  you  may  head  her  within  a  mile  of 
that  point,  Captain  Passford,"  added  the  major ; 
and  Christy  rang  to  go  ahead. 

When    the    major   applied    this    high-sounding 


220  TAKEN   BY    THE  ENEMY 

title  to  the  new  captain,  the  lieutenant  opened 
his  eyes  a  little ;  but  he  asked  no  questions,  for 
he  had  learned  as  he  came  on  board  that  Captaiu 
Pecklar  had  fainted  at  his  post. 

"Well,  what  have  you  been  about,  Dallberg?" 
asked  the  major  rather  impatiently,  as  soon  as 
the  boat  was  under  way  again. 

"  Walking,  talking,  and  rowing  most  of  the 
time.  As  the  poet  says,  '  Things  are  not  what 
they  seem,'  "  replied  the  scout ;  for  such  appeared 
to  be  the  duty  in  which  he  had  been  engaged. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  asked  Major 
Pierson,  opening  his  eyes  very  wide. 

"We  discovered  that  the  steamer  had  left  the 
wharf  last  night,  and  you  sent  me  to  investigate 
when  you  started  off  in  that  wagon." 

"  That's  so ;  and  Pecklar  reported  to  me  early 
this  morning  that  the  steamer  had  left  the  wharf, 
and  was  standing  off  and  on  in  the  bay." 

"  I  went  ashore  in  the  evening,  leaving  Pecklar 
to  watch  the  steamer.  I  don't  know  any  thing 
about  his  movements." 

"  He  reported  to  me  this  morning  about  day- 
light. It  is  all  right  as  far  as  he  is  concerned. 
What  have  you  done  ?  " 


THE  REPORT  OP  THE  SCOUT  221 

"I  landed  at  the  wharf  where  the  Bellevite 
had  been  moored,  about  eleven  o'clock,  I  should 
say,  for  I  could  not  see  my  watch.  I  went  up  to 
Colonel  Passford's  house,  and  found  it  all  in 
commotion." 

"  What  was  the  matter  ? 

"  Colonel  Passford  was  not  there  :  he  had  gone 
off  to  procure  assistance." 

"  Assistance  for  what  ?  "  demanded  the  major. 
"You  are  sleepy,  Dallberg,  and  you  are  mixing 
your  story." 

"  I  am  sleepy  and  exhausted,  but  I  will  try  to 
do  better.  I  saw  Mrs.  Passford.  She  told  me 
that  her  brother-in-law,  Captain  Horatio  Passford, 
had  come  to  the  house  that  day,  with  his  son ; 
and  you  are  aware,  I  believe,  that  his  daughter, 
Miss  Florence,  has  been  there  all  winter." 

"  I  know  all  about  that.     Go  ahead,  Dallberg." 

"  The  two  brothers  had  been  shut  up  in  the 
library  all  the  afternoon,  engaged  in  an  earnest 
discussion ;  though  the  colonel's  wife  did  not  know 
what  it  was  about.  Captain  Horatio  left  Colonel 
Homer  in  the  library  some  time  in  the  evening, 
and  the  colonel  remained  there  till  after  ten. 
Then  it  was  found  that  the  captain  had  left  the 


222  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

house  secretly,  with  his  daughter  and  his  son; 
though  some  of  the  servants  had  seen  the  young 
man  going  up  the  road  with  Percy  Pierson." 

"  Exactly  so ;  never  mind  the  young  man  now. 
The  captain  had  left  the  house,  and  his  daughter 
went  with  him  ? "  repeated  the  major,  beginning 
to  be  a  good  deal  excited. 

"  The  house  was  searched,  but  they  could  not 
be  found ;  and  the  young  lady's  trunk  had  been 
removed  from  her  room.  Then  the  colonel  went 
down  to  the  wharf,  and  found  that  the  Bellevite 
had  left." 

Major  Pierson  sprang  to  his  feet,  hardly  able  to 
contain  himself. 


REBELLION  IN  THE  PILOT-HOUSE  223 


CHAPTER  XX 

A  REBELLION   IN   THE  PILOT-HOUSE 

Captain  Passford  had  obtained  the  idea, 
from  the  fact  that  Florry  did  not  like  to  have 
the  major  gaze  at  her  all  the  time,  that  she  was 
not  very  deeply  interested  in  him ;  and  the  con- 
clusion afforded  him  a  great  deal  of  satisfaction. 
She  did  not  like  to  leave  her  uncle  and  aunt 
and  her  two  cousins  without  saying  good-by  to 
them ;  but  she  had  not  said  a  word  about  the 
military  gentleman  who  was  supposed  to  have 
made  frequent  visits  at  the  mansion  on  her 
account. 

When  Lieutenant  Dallberg  informed  Major 
Pierson  that  Miss  Florry  had  left  the  house,  and 
that  her  trunk  had  been  removed,  indicating  that 
she  did  not  intend  to  return,  the  effect  upon 
him  was  very  decided.  However  it  may  have 
been  with  the  young  lady,  it  was  plain   enough 


224  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

that  he  was  stirred  to  the  very  centre  of  his 
being. 

"  Then  Captain  Passford  has  left  the  man- 
sion ?  "  said  the  Major,  after  he  had  strode  several 
times  across  the  little  pilot-house,  as  he  halted  in 
front  of  the  lieutenant. 

"  No  doubt  of  that ;  the  family  and  the  servants 
hunted  the  house  all  over  in  search  of  him  and 
his  daughter,"  replied  Mr.  Dallberg  with  a  yawn. 

"Well,  what  did  Colonel  Passford  say  about 
him  ?  "  demanded  the  major. 

"He  was  not  at  the  house  when  I  got  there. 
As  I  said,  he  had  gone  for  assistance.  I  could  do 
nothing  till  I  had  seen  him.  I  sent  my  men 
on  ahead  to  look  for  him,  and  then  I  went 
myself.  We  did  not  find  him  till  one  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  He  had  given  up  all  his  horses 
for  the  service,  and  we  had  to  go  on  foot," 
continued  the  lieutenant. 

"But  you  saw  Colonel  Passford ? " 

"  I  did ;  but  he  had  been  unable  to  find  the 
persons  of  whom  he  had  been  in  search,  and 
he  could  procure  no  such  assistance  as  he  wished. 
I  walked  back  to  his  mansion  with  him.  At  first 
he  was  not  inclined  to  say  any  thing  to  me  ;  but 


REBELLION  IN  THE  PILOT-HOUSE  225 

when  I  told  him  that  you  were  over  here  in 
the  Leopard  to  look  out  for  the  steamer,  he  had 
more  confidence  in  me." 

"Well,  what  did  he  say?"  asked  the  major 
impatiently. 

"  He  would  not  say  any  thing  till  I  had  told 
him  all  I  knew,  including  the  manner  in  which 
the  steamer  had  passed  the  forts.  By  this  time 
we  had  reached  his  house,  and  we  seated  our- 
selves in  the  library." 

"  You  need  not  stop  to  describe  the  chairs  or 
the  sofa,"  interposed  the  excited  commandant 
of  the  fort. 

"  I  will  not ;  but,  if  I  omit  any  thing,  it  will 
not  be  my  fault,"  said  the  younger  officer  with  a 
long  gape.  "  He  told  me  he  and  his  brother  had 
been  discussing  the  great  question,  as  he  called 
it,  for  over  six  hours ;  and  they  understood  each 
other  perfectly  in  the  end." 

"  Six  hours !  It  is  a  wonder  they  did  not  talk 
each  other  to  death  !  "  exclaimed  the  major. 

"At  any  rate,  they  talked  enough  to  enable 
them  to  come  to  a  perfect  understanding.  Col- 
onel Passford  is  as  true  to  the  Confederacy  as 
we  all  know  him    to   be,   but   Captain    Passford 


226  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

is  a  Yankee  to  the  marrow  of  his  bones ;  and 
the  two  brothers  could  not  agree  at  all  on  the 
political  question,  though  they  profess  still  to 
be  friends." 

"  Then  the  owner  of  the  Bellevite  is  on  the 
other  side  ?  " 

"  No  doubt  of  that ;  and  the  steamer  did  not 
come  down  here  to  go  into  the  service  of  the 
Confederacy,"  added  the  lieutenant. 

"But  she  will  go  into  it,  all  the  same,"  said  the 
major,  glancing  at  the  new  captain  of  the  Leopard. 

Christy  was  quite  as  much  excited  over  the 
conversation  to  which  he  could  not  help  being  a 
listener,  even  if  he  had  wished  not  to  be  so. 
It  was  clear  enough  to  him  that  the  whole  object 
of  the  voyage  to  Mobile  Bay  had  come  out, 
and  the  major  needed  no  further  information  to 
enable  him  to  act  with  promptness  and  decision. 
The  fact  that  Miss  Florry  must  be  on  board 
of  the  Bellevite  was  doubtless  an  additional 
incentive  to  make  him  do  his  entire  duty  to  the 
Confederacy. 

"  I  think  I  have  told  you  the  whole  story, 
Major  Pierson,"  said  Lieutenant  Dallberg  with 
another  prodigious  yawn. 


REBELLION  IN  THE   PILOT-HOUSE  227 

"  Then  Captain  Passford  and  his  daughter  are 
now  on  board  of  the  steamer,"  added  the  major; 
though  he  seemed  to  be  musing  on  the  fact, 
rather  than  saying  it  to  his  companion. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  that,"  replied  the 
other. 

"As  Captain  Passford  is  a  Yankee  at  heart, 
of  course  he  don't  intend  to  remain  in  these 
waters  much  longer,"  continued  the  major,  giving 
utterance  to  his  reflections. 

"  There  is  something  more  than  that,  which  I 
forgot  to  tell  you ;  for  you  hurried  me  so  that 
I  could  not  keep  my  thoughts  about  me,"  inter- 
posed the  lieutenant. 

"  What  more  is  there  ?  You  said  you  had  told  me 
the  whole,"  said  the  major,  with  a  sneer  on  his  lips. 

"  The  Bellevite  is  intended  for  the  Yankee 
navy,  and  she  has  already  been  tendered  to  the 
Government  for  that  purpose.  More  yet,  Captain 
Passford  and  the  commander  of  the  steamer  have 
offered  their  services.  The  owner  is  sure  that 
all  hands  will  be  volunteers  for  the  service  as 
soon  as  she  returns  from  this  trip,"  continued 
Dallberg,  who  had  suddenly  roused  his  energies 
to  the  requirements  of  the  situation. 


228  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  I  had  no  doubt  that  Captain  Passford  would 
be  with  his  brother  in  this  war,"  mused  the 
major. 

"He  could  not  be  any  farther  from  him.  He 
came  down  here  after  his  daughter,  and  his 
brother  says  he  expected  to  remove  him  and 
his  family  to  the  North  at  the  same  time." 

"  His  mission  will  be  a  failure  in  every  sense," 
added  Major  Pierson,  as  though  he  regarded  it  as 
a  matter  of  course. 

"  The  colonel  said  his  duty  to  his  country  and 
her  cause  would  not  allow  him  to  suffer  his 
brother  to  take  the  steamer  back  to  the  North  to 
be  handed  over  to  the  Yankee  navy." 

"  That  is  where  he  was  quite  right." 

"  But  the  colonel  does  not  like  to  do  any 
thing  to  injure  his  brother  and  his  two  children 
who  are  with  him ;  and  he  wished  to  find  Colonel 
Dalheath,  who  could  manage  the  business  without 
loss  to  the  Confederacy,  while  he  could  favor  the 
captain's  escape.  But  he  was  satisfied  that  you 
would  feel  an  interest  to  prevent  the  departure 
of  the  steamer ;  while  you  would  not  be  willing 
to  do  her  owner  or  his  family  any  injury  in  their 
persons,  however  it  might  be  in  their  property." 


KEBELLION   IN   THE   T1LOT-HOUSE  229 

"I  think  I  understand  the  situation  perfectly 
now,"  said  the  major,  as  he  went  to  the  front 
windows  of  the  pilot-house.  "  Spottswood ! "  he 
called  to  the  sergeant. 

"  Here,  sir." 

"  How  is  Captain  Pecklar  ?  " 

"He  has  come  to  himself,  but  he  is  no  better. 
I  am  afraid  he  is  going  to  die."  replied  Spotts- 
wood, coming  near  the  bulkhead,  and  speaking  in 
a  low  tone. 

"  That's  bad,"  added  the  major,  shaking  his 
head. 

"  There's  the  steamer,  sir  ! "  called  one  of  the 
soldiers. 

The  Leopard  had  just  passed  a  point  of  land 
beyond  which  the  Bellevite  was  discovered, 
apparently  going  at  full  speed,  and  headed  to 
the  south-west.  Christy  brought  his  glass  to  bear 
upon  her,  but  he  could  see  nothing  which 
afforded  him  any  information  in  regard  to  her 
movements  or  intentions. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  not  difficult  to  determine  what 
your  father's  steamer  is  waiting  in  the  bay  for, 
Mr.  Passford,"  said  Major  Pierson,  as  he  looked 
into  the  face  of  his  pilot. 


230  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"I  am  sure  I  don't  know  what  he  is  waiting 
for,"  replied  Christy. 

"Don't  you,  indeed?"  added  the  major, 
laughing. 

"  I  am  sure  I  do  not." 

"  Then,  it  has  not  occurred  to  you  that  he 
misses  you,  and  don't  like  to  leave  without 
you?"  chuckled  the  major.  "I  did  not  intend 
to  have  you  captured  by  my  men,  and  I  gave 
them  no  definite  orders  to  that  effect;  but,  as 
things  look  just  now,  it  is  rather  fortunate  that 
I  have  you  on  board  of  the  Leopard,  not  only 
for  the  sake  of  your  father's  waiting  for  you, 
but  you  are  a  good  pilot,  and  are  of  great 
service  to  me." 

Christy  rang  the  bell  with  a  sudden  impulse, 
which  made  it  look  as  though  he  had  not  fully 
taken  in  the  situation  before.  The  engineer, 
though  he  was  one  of  the  army  of  the  disabled 
in  whole  or  in  part,  obeyed  the  summons  of  the 
bell,  and  the  propeller  ceased  to  revolve. 

"What's  that  for,  Captain  Passford?"  asked 
the  major  good-naturedly. 

"  With  your  permission,  Major  Pierson,  I  will 
resign   my   office    as    captain    of    the   Leopard," 


REBELLION   IN   THE   PILOT-HOUSE  231 

replied  Christy,  as  he  stepped  back  from  the 
wheel. 

"But  I  cannot  give  you  my  permission," 
laughed  the  major. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  disoblige  you,  Major  Pierson ; 
but  then  I  am  compelled  to  resign  the  position 
without  your  permission,"  replied  Christy  with- 
out an  instant's  hesitation  ;  for  he  clearly  under- 
stood what  he  was  doing  now,  and  neither  really 
nor  constructively  was  he  willing  to  do  any  thing 
in  the  service  of  the  enemies  of  the  Union. 

"  But  you  can't  resign  in  the  face  of  the 
enemy,  Captain  Passford ;  and  you  accepted 
the  position  which  I  assigned  to  you,"  said  the 
major,  beginning  to  look  a  little  more  serious. 

"  In  the  face  of  the  enemy  !  "  exclaimed  Christy, 
glancing  at  the  Bellevite,  as  she  dashed  furiously 
over  the  waves  at  a  distance  of  not  more  than 
a  mile  from  the  tug.  "  May  I  ask  what  you 
mean  by  the  enemy,  Major  Pierson  ?  " 

"  You  must  have  heard  all  the  information 
which  was  brought  to  me  by  Lieutenant  Dall- 
berg  ;  and  by  this  time  you  are  aware  that  the 
steamer  yonder  is  an  enemy  of  the  Confederate 
States,"  continued  the  major. 


232  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"She  did  not  come  into  these  waters  as  an 
enemy,  or  with  any  warlike  intentions,  sir.  She 
came  on  a  peaceful  mission ;  and  now  it  appears 
that  my  uncle  is  guilty  of  treachery  towards  my 
father,"  replied  Christy  with  deep  emotion. 

"Do  you  think  it  would  be  right  or  proper 
for  your  uncle  to  allow  that  fine  steamer,  which 
I  am  told  is  one  of  the  strongest  and  fastest  ever 
built,  to  be  handed  over  to  the  Yankee  navy  ?  " 
demanded  the  major,  with  energy  enough  to 
assure  his  auditor  that  he  meant  all  he  said. 

"  I  happen  to  know  that  my  father  had  several 
hundred  dollars  about  him  in  gold ;  and  my 
uncle  would  have  done  no  worse  to  rob  him  of 
that,  than  to  have  his  steamer  taken  from  him 
when  it  was  not  engaged  in  acts  of  war.  In  either 
case,  Homer  Passford  is  a  thief  and  a  robber ! " 

"  That's  plain  speech,  young  man,"  said  the 
major,   biting  his   lips. 

"  I  meant  it  should  be  plain,  sir,"  said  Christy, 
gasping  for  breath  in  his  deep  emotion.  "  I  am 
ashamed  of  my  uncle,  and  I  know  that  my  father 
would  not  be  guilty  of  such  treachery." 

"  I  see  that  it  is  useless  to  reason  with  you, 
Passford." 


REBELLION   IN   THE   PILOT-HOUSE  233 

"  You  have  come  to  a  correct  conclusion.  When 
you  call  my  father's  steamer  an  enemy,  you  define 
my  duty  for  me  ;  and  I  have  nothing  further  to 
do  on  board  of  this  tug,"  replied  Christy.  "  I  am 
in  your  power,  and  of  course  you  can  do  with  me 
as  you  please." 

Major  Pierson  was  certainly  very  much  embar- 
rassed. The  events  of  the  night,  and  the  informa- 
tion obtained  on  shore,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
specific  request  from  Colonel  Passford  to  "  manage 
the  business,"  imposed  upon  him  the  duty  of 
capturing  the  Bellevite ;  and  he  was  all  ready  to 
do  it.  But  the  Leopard  might  as  well  have  been 
without  an  engine  as  without  a  pilot ;  for  all 
the  men  on  board  were  from  the  interior  of 
the  country,  and  not  one  of  them,  not  even  the 
officers,  knew  how  to  steer  the  boat. 

The  marks  and  figures  on  the  chart  of  the  bay, 
which  Christy  had  put  on  the  shelf  in  front  of  the 
wheel,  were  all  Greek  to  them.  Possibly  they 
might  get  the  tug  to  the  shore,  or  aground  on 
the  way  to  it ;  but  the  steamer  was  practically 
disabled. 


234  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 


CHAPTER    XXI 

THE   SICK   CAPTAIN   OF   THE   LEOPARD 

Christy  Passford  now  realized,  for  the  first 
time,  that  he  had  been  taken  by  the  enemy.  War 
had  actually  been  declared  against  the  Bellevite, 
and  Major  Pierson  would  undertake  to  perforin  the 
duty  assigned  to  him  by  Colonel  Passford.  The 
young  man  was  determined  to  be  true  to  his  colors 
under  all  possible  circumstances ;  and  therefore  he 
could  do  nothing,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  assist 
in  the  capture  of  the  steamer. 

Captain  Passford,  while  he  recognized  the  irreg- 
ularity of  his  mission,  had  come  into  the  waters  of 
Mobile  Bay  with  no  intention  of  committing  any 
depredations  on  the  persons,  property,  or  vessels 
of  the  Confederacy.  The  Bellevite  had  not  fired 
a  shot,  or  landed  a  force,  in  the  enemy's  country. 

Indeed,  the  owner  of  the  steamer  had  taken 
especial  pains  to  conceal  any  appearance  of  using 


THE  SICK  CAPTAIN  235 

force  on  coming  into  the  bay;  and  all  the  guns  on 
the  deck  of  the  vessel,  that  could  not  be  easily 
lowered  into  the  hold,  had  been  covered  up  and 
concealed.  Though  Major  Pierson  had  spent 
some  time  on  board  of  the  Bellevite,  he  did  not 
know  whether  or  not  she  was  armed.  He  was  no 
wiser  than  the  owner's  brother. 

The  major  went  to  the  lower  deck  of  the  Leop- 
ard, where  Christy  saw  him  questioning  the 
soldiers  there,  though  he  could  not  hear  any  thing 
that  was  said.  Of  course  he  was  inquiring  for 
some  hand  who  had  steered  a  steamer ;  but  he 
soon  returned  alone,  and  it  looked  as  though 
he  had  not  found  the  person  he  sought. 

"  It  looks  like  bad  weather,  Mr.  Passford,  since 
you  decline  to  be  called  captain  any  longer,"  said 
the  major,  as  he  came  into  the  pilot-house,  and 
looked  at  the  sky  in  all  directions. 

Christy  had  noticed  the  weather  signs  before ; 
and  the  wind  was  beginning  to  pipe  up  a  rather 
fresh  blast,  though  the  sun  had  been  out  for  an 
hour  or  more  earlier  in  the  morning.  It  came 
from  the  southward,  and  it  was  already  knocking 
up  a  considerable  sea,  as  it  had  the  range  of  the 
whole  length  of  the  bay. 


236  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  I  was  thinking  that  we  should  have  a  storm 
before  long  when  I  looked  at  the  signs  this 
morning,"  replied  Christy  rather  indifferently. 

"  How  many  men  does  your  father  have  on 
board  of  his  steamer,  Mr.  Passford  ? "  asked  the 
major,  in  a  careless  sort  of  way. 

"Not  as  many,  I  should  say,  as  you  have  in 
Fort  Gaines.  By  the  way,  how  many  have  you 
under  your  command  there  ?  "  returned  Christy 
with  a  twinkle  of  the  eye. 

"We  have  two  thousand  four  hundred  and 
twenty-six,  including  myself,"  replied  the  major. 

"  That  is  quite  a  force  ;  my  father  has  only  seven 
hundred  and  forty-two,  without  counting  me." 

"  Where  do  you  put  them  all  ?  " 

"  We  stow  them  away  in  the  hold,  after  the 
manner  of  packing  sardines  in  a  box.  We  only 
let  them  out  one  at  a  time,  when  we  feed  them 
with  salt  fish  and  baked  beans." 

"  That  makes  a  good  many  men  to  a  gun," 
suggested  the  major. 

"  Lots  of  them,"  answered  Christy. 

"  How  many  guns  does  the  steamer  carry  ?  " 

"  Only  two  hundred ;  of  course  I  mean  heavy 
guns,  —  sixty  and  eighty-four  pounders.     I  think 


THE  SICK  CAPTAIN  237 

there  must  be  small  arms  enough  to  supply  all 
your  men  in  the  fort." 

"  I  was  on  board  of  the  Bellevite  for  half  an 
hour  or  more,  and  I  really  did  not  see  a  single 
heavy  gun,"  added  the  major,  biting  his  lip. 

"  Didn't  you  notice  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pounder  in  the  waist  ?  It  is  big  enough 
for  you  to  have  seen  it." 

It  was  plain  enough  to  the  young  Unionist 
that  the  major  really  desired  to  know  something 
about  the  force  and  metal  of  the  Bellevite,  and 
that  he  was  disappointed  when  he  found  that 
the  son  of  the  owner  was  on  his  guard.  No 
information  was  to  be  obtained  from  him. 

"  I  think  you  said  there  was  a  doctor  on  board 
of  the  steamer,"  continued  Major  Pierson, 
changing  the  subject  of  the  conversation. 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  and  a  very  skilful  surgeon  he  is,  — 
Dr.  Linscott,"  replied  Christy. 

"  I  went  in  to  see  Captain  Pecklar  when  I  was 
below,  and  I  found  him  in  a  very  bad  condition. 
I  am  afraid  he  will  die  before  we  can  get  him 
to  the  shore ;  and  he  is  suffering  terribly,"  added 
the  major,  looking  earnestly  into  the  face  of  the 
young  man. 


238  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  I  am  sorry  for  him,"  replied  Christy  ;  and  his 
pity  and  sympathy  were  apparent  in  his  face. 

He  had  noticed  the  captain  of  the  tug  in  the 
morning,  and  one  of  the  soldiers  had  told  him 
lie  was  a  Northern  man  who  had  come  to  this 
region  for  his  health.  He  appeared  to  have  no 
scruples  at  doing  the  duty  assigned  to  him, 
though  he  had  been  only  two  years  at  the  South. 
But  he  seemed  to  be  of  no  use  to  either  side  in  the 
contest,  for  he  was  too  sick  to  work  any  longer. 

Christy  was  filled  with  pity  for  the  sufferings 
of  the  captain  of  the  tug,  and  he  thought  the 
major's  questions  suggested  that  something  was 
to  be  required  of  him  in  connection  with  the 
sick  man.  He  was  willing  to  do  any  thing  he 
could  for  the  aid  of  the  captain,  if  he  could  do  it 
without  sacrificing  his  principles. 

"  It  was  a  part  of  my  purpose  to  obtain  assist- 
ance from  the  surgeon  of  the  steamer  for  poor 
Pecklar,"  continued  the  major.  "  But  you  have 
moored  us  all  here  by  refusing  to  steer  the  boat, 
and  the  captain  will  die  without  our  being  able 
to  do  a  single  thing  for  him.  There  is  not  even 
a  drop  of  brandy  on  board  of  this  boat  to  restore 


THE   SICK  CAPTAIN  239 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do,  Major  Pierson  ?  " 
asked  Christy. 

"  Just  now,  all  I  desire  is  to  procure  assistance 
for  poor  Pecklar,"  replied  the  major.  "  But  we 
are  as  helpless  as  though  we  were  all  babies,  for 
we  can't  handle  the  steamer,  and  cannot  run 
down  to  the  Bellevite.  I  hope  you  will  not 
have  the  death  of  this  poor  fellow  on  your 
conscience." 

"  I  will  not.  I  will  take  the  Leopard  alongside 
of  the  Bellevite,  if  you  like,"  replied  Christy ; 
and  he  regarded  this  as  a  mission  of  humanity 
which  he  had  no  right  to  decline. 

"  The  steamer  has  turned  about ! "  shouted  one 
of  the  soldiers  on  the  forecastle. 

Christy  had  noticed  that  the  Bellevite  was 
coming  about  before  the  announcement  came 
from  below,  for  his  nautical  eye  enabled  him  to 
see  her  first  movement.  He  did  not  feel  that  the 
service  he  was  about  to  render  would  benefit 
the  enemy,  on  the  one  hand ;  and  he  hoped  that 
his  father  or  some  other  person  on  board  of  the 
Bellevite  would  see  him  in  the  pilot-house,  on 
the  other  hand.  If  he  could  only  let  his  father 
know  where    he   was,   he    felt    that    he    should 


240  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

remove  a  heavy  burden  from  his  mind  and  that 
of  his  sister. 

What  else  might  come  from  getting  near  to  the 
steamer,  he  did  not  venture  to  consider.  But  he 
could  not  help  figuring  up  the  number  of  soldiers 
on  board  of  the  tug ;  the  force  which  had  cap- 
tured him  and  Percy  consisted  of  four  men,  and 
two  men  were  with  the  lieutenant.  Two  officers 
and  six  men  was  the  available  force  of  the 
enemy  on  board  of  the  little  steamer,  for  neither 
the  captain  nor  the  engineer  was  fit  for  duty. 

"  I  accept  your  offer,  Captain  Passford ;  and 
we  have  no  time  to  spare,  or  the  sick  man  may 
die,"  said  the  major. 

Christy  made  no  reply,  but  went  to  the 
wheel,  and  rang  the  bell  to  go  ahead.  Heading 
the  Leopard  for  the  Bellevite,  he  gave  himself 
up  to  a  consideration  of  the  situation.  Major 
Pierson  immediately  left  the  pilot-house,  and  did 
not  return.  No  stipulations  of  any  kind  had 
been  made,  and  no  terms  had  been  imposed  upon 
Christy.  All  that  he  desired  was  that  his  father 
should  see  him,  and  know  where  he  was. 

No  one  but  himself  on  board  could  handle 
the  steamer ;  and  he  could  not  be  sent  out  of  the 


THE  SICE  CAPTAIN  241 

pilot-house,  or  concealed  so  that  he  should  not 
be  seen.  On  the  other  hand,  it  did  not  seem 
to  him  that  the  officer  could  do  any  thing  towards 
capturing  the  Bellevite.  The  major  desired  to 
ascertain  what  force  she  had,  and  had  asked 
some  questions  calculated  to  throw  light  on  the 
subject. 

If  the  steamer  had  come  into  the  bay  on  a 
peaceful  errand,  as  Christy  insisted  that  she  had, 
the  major  might  easily  believe  that  she  was  not 
armed,  and  that  she  had  only  men  enough  to 
man  her.  But  Christy  could  not  tell  what  his 
captor  was  thinking  about,  and  he  could  not 
yet  enlarge  his  plans  for  the  future  ;  but  he  was 
very  certain  in  his  own  mind,  that  he  should 
not  let  pass  any  opportunity  to  escape,  even  at 
great  risk,  from  his  present  situation. 

As  the  Leopard  went  off  on  her  course, 
considerably  shaken  by  the  fresh  breeze  which 
had  stirred  up  a  smart  sea,  the  acting  captain  of 
the  tug  saw  that  all  the  men  who  had  been 
on  the  forecastle  had  disappeared,  with  a  single 
exception.  The  major  was  not  to  be  seen,  and 
doubtless  he  was  taking  care  of  the  sick  captain, 
or  arranging  his  plan  for  the  interview  with  the 


242  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

people  of  the  Bellevite.  In  a  few  minutes  more, 
this  last  man  disappeared,  and  Percy  Pierson  took 
his  place  on  the  forecastle. 

"  So  you  are  a  Yank,  are  you,  Mr.  Pierson  ? " 
said  he  of  that  name,  looking  up  to  the  window 
at  which  Christy  stood. 

"  Whatever  I  am,  I  am  in  command  of  a 
Confederate  steamer,"  replied  Christy,  laughing. 
"  What  is  your  brother  doing,  Mr.  Percy  ? " 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know :  he  is  only  talking 
to  the  men,"  answered  the  young  man,  who  had 
evidently  been  put  there  to  act  as  a  lookout. 

At  that  moment  a  voice  was  heard  from  farther 
aft,  and  Percy  went  towards  the  stern  of  the 
boat.  A  few  minutes  later  he  ascended  to 
the  pilot-house.  On  the  sofa  abaft  the  wheel 
was  Lieutenant  Dallberg,  where  he  had  dropped 
asleep  as  he  finished  his  report  of  what  he  had 
learned  on  shore. 

"  Mr.  Dallberg  ! "  shouted  Percy ;  but  the 
lieutenant  did  not  show  any  signs  of  life  till 
the  messenger  had  shaken  him  smartly.  "  Major 
Pierson  wants  you  down  below." 

The  officer  rubbed  his  eyes  for  a  moment, 
and  then  rose  from  the  sofa,  and  left  the  apart- 


THE   SICK   CAPTAIN  243 

ment.  The  summons  for  the  lieutenant  made 
it  look  to  Christy  as  though  something  was  in 
progress  below.  There  was  only  one  thing  which 
the  major  could  think  of  doing ;  and  that  was 
to  capture  the  Bellevite,  either  by  force  or  by 
strategy.  He  would  have  given  a  good  deal  to 
know  what  the  plan  was,  but  it  seemed  to  him 
to  be  quite  impossible  to  leave  the  wheel. 

"  How  is  the  sick  man,  Percy  ?  "  asked  Christy, 
when  he  found  that  the  messenger  was  not 
disposed  to  leave  the  pilot-house. 

"  He  is  a  good  deal  better :  they  have  just 
given  him  another  glass  of  brandy,"  replied 
Percy. 

This  statement  did  not  agree  with  that  of  the 
major,  who  had  told  him  the  captain  was  likely 
to  die,  and  that  there  was  not  a  drop  of  brandy 
on  board  of  the  boat.  The  commandant  of  the 
fort  had  evidently  been  acting  in  the  pilot-house 
with  a  purpose. 

"Didn't  your  brother  order  you  to  stay  on 
the  forecastle,  Mr.  Percy  ? "  asked  Christy,  when 
his  companion  came  to  the  wheel  on  the  opposite 
side  from  the  helmsman. 

"  No :    he  said  if  I  would  help  him,  he  would 


244  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

do  what  he  could  for  me ;  and  he  told  me  to 
keep  a  lookout  at  this  end  of  the  tug.  I  can 
see  ahead  better  here  than  I  can  down  below," 
replied  Percy,  as  he  tried  to  turn  the  wheel. 
"  I  believe  I  could  steer  this  thing." 

"I  know  you  could,  Percy.  Do  you  see  the 
Bellevite  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do :  I'm  not  blind." 

"  She  has  stopped  her  screw,  and  is  not  going 
ahead  now,"  added  Christy,  as  he  let  go  the 
spokes  of  the  wheel,  and  proceeded  to  instruct 
his  pupil. 

A  few  minutes  later,  Christy  left  the  pilot- 
house to  take  a  look  below. 


PROCEEDINGS   ON   THE   LOWER   DECK        245 


CHAPTER   XXII 

THE  PROCEEDINGS  ON  THE  LOWER  DECK 

Christy  Passford  did  not  consider  Percy 
Pierson  a  competent  helmsman,  for  he  had  spent 
but  a  few  minutes  in  instructing  him  in  handling 
the  wheel ;  in  fact,  only  long  enough  to  induce 
him  to  "  steer  small."  For  the  moment,  Percy 
was  interested  in  the  occupation,  and  gave  his 
whole  mind  to  it ;  and  Christy  intended  to 
remain  where  he  could  reach  the  wheel  in  a 
moment  if  occasion  should  require.  His  com- 
panion in  the  pilot-house  did  not  seem  to  care 
what  he  did. 

The  Bellevite,  as  the  new  captain  had  observed 
before,  had  stopped  her  screw ;  and  she  appeared 
to  be  waiting  for  the  tug  to  come  up,  as  it  was 
headed  towards  her.  Christy  had  examined  her 
with  the  glass,  but  he  could  see  nothing  which 
gave  him  any  idea  of  what  was  going  on  upon 


246  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

her  decks.  As  Florry  was  now  on  board  of  her, 
he  was  satisfied  that  his  father  could  only  be 
waiting  for  him ;  and  he  intended  to  do  his  best 
to  report  on  board  some  time  during  the  day. 

Major  Pierson  and  his  little  force  were 
gathered  under  the  hurricane-deck,  in  the  space 
from  which  opened  the  door  of  the  captain's 
little  cabin.  Christy  could  not  see  a  single  one 
of  them  from  the  upper  deck ;  but  he  had  gone 
but  a  few  steps  aft  before  he  heard  the  voice  of 
the  major  who  seemed  to  be  "laying  down  the 
law  "  in  a  forcible  manner  to  his  men. 

"  Do  you  understand  me,  Spikeley  ?  "  demanded 
the  major  slowly  and  loudly,  as  though  he  were 
talking  to  a  deaf  man. 

Christy  had  not  heard  the  name  of  Spikeley 
before ;  but  he  concluded  that  he  must  be  one  of 
the  soldiers,  probably  one  of  the  two  who  had 
come  on  board  with  Lieutenant  Dallberg. 

"  I  don't  think  I  do,"  replied  the  man  addressed, 
in  a  tone  quite  as  loud  as  that  of  the  military  officer. 

"  You  are  not  to  start  the  engine  under  any 
circumstances,"  continued  the  major,  in  a  louder 
tone  than  before,  as  if  the  man  had  failed  to 
hear  him. 


PROCEEDINGS  ON  THE  LOWER  DECK        247 

The  man  addressed  as  Spikeley  must  be  the 
engineer  then,  and  not  a  soldier,  Christy  realized 
at  once. 

"  Don't  I  mind  the  bells,  Major  Pierson  ? " 
asked  the  engineer,  whose  tones  indicated  that 
he  was  not  a  little  astonished  at  the  positive 
order  he  had  received. 

"  You  will  not  mind  the  bells.  You  will  take 
no  notice  of  them  after  this  present  moment. 
When  I  tell  you  to  stop  the  engine,  you  will  stop 
it,  not  without,  no  matter  how  many  times  the 
bells  ring,"  said  the  major  with  emphasis. 

"  I  hear  you,  and  I  understand  now  what  I 
am  to  do,"  replied  Spikeley. 

"  All  right,  so  far ;  but  do  you  understand 
what  you  are  not  to  do  ? "  demanded  the  officer 
sharply,  as  though  he  fully  comprehended  the 
obtuseness  of  the  engineer. 

"  I  reckon  I  do  :  I  am  not  to  start  the  engine 
till  you  tell  me  to  start  it,"  answered  the  dull 
engineer. 

"  Not  if  you  don't  start  it  for  a  month ! " 
added  the  major  sternly. 

"  But  you  are  going  off,  Major  Pierson,"  sug- 
gested Spikeley.     "If  that   steamer  over  yonder 


248  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

looks  like  she  was  going  to  run  over  the  Leopard, 
I  am  not  to  start  the  engine  to  keep  her  from 
being  sent  to  the  bottom  of  the  bay  ?  " 

"  No  ! "  exclaimed  the  officer. 

"  All  right,  major ;  then  you  may  find  me  on 
the  bottom  when  you  come  back." 

"  You  will  not  be  lost  as  long  as  I  know  where 
your  are,"  added  the  major  with  a  chuckle. 

"  Are  you  coming  back  to-day,  major  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  when  I  shall  return.  All  you 
have  to  do  is  to  obey  orders,  and  leave  all  the 
rest  to  me." 

"  Shall  I  be  all  alone  on  board  ?  " 

"  That  young  fellow  at  the  wheel  will  remain 
on  board  ;  but  you  are  not  to  mind  what  he  says 
to  you.     Do  you  understand  that  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  I  do,"  replied  Spikeley. 

"  My  brother,  who  was  down  here  a  little 
while  ago,  will  also  remain  on  board ;  and  Captain 
Pecklar  will  be  in  his  room,  for  he  cannot  leave 
it.  That  is  all  that  will  be  on  board.  But  no 
one  will  bother  you,  unless  it  should  be  the  fellow 
now  at  the  wheel ;  and  he  can't  do  any  harm  as 
long  as  you  don't  start  the  engine  for  him." 

"  I  reckon  I  won't  start  the  engine  for  him,  or 


PROCEEDINGS  ON  THE  LOWER  DECK        249 

anybody  else  but  you,  major.  You  can  bet  your 
commission  on  that,"  added  the  engineer,  with 
more  vim  in  his  speech  than  he  had  used  before. 

"  All  right,  Spikeley ;  and  I  will  see  that  you 
don't  lose  any  thing,  if  you  are  faithful  to  your 
duty.  You  must  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  Pass- 
ford  :  that's  the  young  fellow  at  the  wheel.  He  is 
the  only  one  that  can  do  any  mischief,  and  I 
would  not  have  him  go  near  that  steamer  for  a 
thousand  dollars." 

Christy  thought  he  understood  what  was  in 
progress  ;  at  any  rate,  he  dared  not  remain  any 
longer  away  from  the  wheel,  and  he  returned  to 
the  pilot-house.  Percy  was  still  interested  in  his 
occupation.  He  was  steering  the  tug  very  well  for 
a  beginner,  and  his  brother  was  too  busy  organiz- 
ing his  expedition  to  notice  that  the  steering  was 
a  little  wild ;  for  the  waves  caused  the  boat  to  yaw 
somewhat  in  the  absence  of  a  skilled  hand  at  the 
helm. 

The  Leopard  was  now  within  about  half  a  mile 
of  the  Bellevite.  The  latter  turned  her  screw  a 
few  times  once  in  a  while  to  keep  from  drifting, 
and  Christy  saw  from  his  chart  that  the  water  was 
too  shallow  for  her  in  the  direction  in  which  the 


250  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

tug  was  approaching  her.  Of  course  his  father 
was  aware  that,  by  this  time,  his  own  and  his 
daughter's  departure  from  his  uncle's  mansion  was 
known.  His  own  absence,  therefore,  must  be  the 
only  thing  that  detained  her  in  these  waters. 

"  I  think  I  can  steer  this  thing  pretty  well,  Mr. 
Pierson,"  said  Percy,  when  the  new  captain 
joined  him. 

"  You  do  it  very  well  indeed  for  a  beginner, 
Percy ;  but  you  need  not  call  me  '  Mr.  Pierson ' 
any  longer,  for  it  takes  too  long  to  say  it.  Every- 
body calls  me  Christy,  and  you  had  better  follow 
the  fashion,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  All  right,  Christy,  and  I  will  do  so ;  for  there 
are  more  Piersons  on  board  of  this  boat  now  than 
I  wish  there  were,"  added  Percy,  glancing  at  the 
face  of  his  companion. 

"  What  is  your  brother  going  to  do,  Percy  ?  He 
seems  to  be  arranging  something  on  the  lower 
deck,"  continued  Christy. 

"  I  don't  know :  he  didn't  tell  me  any  thing  at 
all  about  it.  He  wanted  to  use  me :  so  he  soaped 
me." 

"If  he  knew  you  could  steer  this  steamer,  he 
would  have  something  more  for  you  to  do." 


PROCEEDINGS   ON   THE   LOWER   DECK        251 

"  Then  I  won't  tell  him.  All  I  want  is  to  get 
away  from  him.  He  will  make  a  common  soldier 
of  me,  and  I  shall  never  get  out  of  the  ranks." 

"  But  you  will  fight  like  a  brave  fellow,  and  you 
will  be  promoted,1'  suggested  Christy. 

"  If  I  get  a  bullet  through  my  carcass,  they  will 
make  a  corporal  of  me.  Then  if  I  had  half  my 
head  shot  off,  they  might  make  a  sergeant  of  me. 
I  am  not  thirsting  for  any  such  glory  as  that, 
and  I  expected  to  stay  with  my  father  at  Nassau." 

"  Did  your  brother  ask  you  any  thing  about  the 
Bellevite,  Percy  ?  " 

"  Not  a  thing :  he  would  hardly  speak  to  me, 
for  he  says  I  have  disgraced  the  family.  But, 
Christy,  now  I  think  of  it,  you  are  not  on  the 
South  side  of  this  question." 

"How  do  you  know  I  am  not?"  asked  Christy, 
laughing. 

"  I  heard  my  brother  say  so ;  and  that  he  did 
not  wish  to  have  you,  on  any  account,  go  near 
that  other  steamer." 

"  I  think  we  wonH  talk  about  that  just  now," 
added  Christy  cautiously,  for  he  was  not  inclined 
to  have  Percy  know  too  much  about  his  affairs  at 
present. 


252  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

"Why  not?  After  all  my  brother  has  done, 
and  is  trying  to  do,  to  me,  I  don't  think  I  am 
exactly  on  the  South  side  of  the  question  any 
more  than  you  are,"  said  Percy,  looking  with 
interest  into  the  face  of  his  companion.  "  If  your 
father  is  a  Union  man,  as  Lindley  says  he  is,  he 
don't  mean  to  have  the  Bellevite  go  into  the 
service  of  the  Confederacy." 

'*  That  is  not  bad  logic,  with  the  premises  on 
which  you  base  it." 

"  Just  talk  English,  if  you  please,  Christy." 

"  The  English  of  it  is,  that  if  my  father  is  a 
Union  man,  as  your  brother  says  he  is,  the  Bellevite 
is  not  going  into  the  Southern  navy,"  replied 
Christy,  willing  to  encourage  the  major's  brother. 

"  I  can  understand  that,  Christy.  Now,  you  are 
going  on  board  of  your  father's  steamer  if  you  can 
get  there." 

"I  certainly  don't  want  to  stay  on  board  of 
this  little  tub  any  longer  than  I  am  obliged  to 
do  so,  for  you  can  see  that  I  am  really  a 
prisoner." 

"  So  am  I ;  and  that  is  just  where  we  ought 
to  be  friends,  and  stand  by  each  other,"  said 
Percy  with  a  good  deal  of  enthusiasm.      "I  can 


PROCEEDINGS  ON  THE  LOWER  DECK        253 

see  through  a  brick  wall,  when  there  is  a  hole 
in  it." 

"  Good  eyes  you  have,  Percy,  and  you  don't 
have  to  wear  glasses." 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  logic  ;  but  if  the 
Bellevite  is  not  going  into  the  Confederate  navy, 
as  I  supposed  when  we  came  into  Mobile  Bay,  I 
can  figure  it  out  that  she  is  not  going  to  stay 
in  these  parts  at  all." 

"  That's  your  logic,  Percy,  not  mine ;  but  I 
don't  think  I  care  to  argue  the  question  on  the 
other  side,"  said  Christy,  making  very  light  of 
the  whole  matter,  though  he  was  vastly  more 
interested  than  he  was  willing  to  acknowledge. 

"She  is  going  to  get  out  of  Mobile  Bay,  and 
she  is  going  to  do  it  just  as  soon  as  she  can. 
Now,  the  question  is,  where  is  she  going  then  ? " 

"You  will  have  to  put  that  question  to  my 
father,  Percy,"  said  Christy.  "He  can  tell  you 
what  he  is  going  to  do  a  great  deal  better  than 
I  can." 

"  He  is  not  within  ear-shot  of  me  just  now :  if 
he  were,  I  would  ask  him  without  stopping  to 
soap  my  tongue." 

"  You  may  see  him  before  long.     I  don't  know 


254  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

what  your  brother  is  about  just  now ;  and,  for 
aught  I  know,  he  may  intend  to  capture  the 
Bellevite." 

"  I  reckon  he  will  have  a  good  time  doing 
it,  if  your  father  and  Captain  Breaker  haven't 
a  mind  to  let  him  do  it." 

"They  will  not  wish  to  fight,  even  for  their 
steamer,  here  in  Mobile  Bay.  I  know  that  my 
father  intended  to  keep  the  peace.  Besides,  your 
brother  may  think  there  are  few  men  on  board 
of  the  vessel." 

"I  want  to  get  on  board  of  the  Bellevite  any- 
how!" exclaimed  Percy,  bluntly  coming  to  the 
point  at  which  he  had  been  aiming  for  some 
time. 

"  I  shall  not  do  any  thing  to  prevent  you  from 
doing  so,"  added  Christy. 

"  I  don't  say  that  I  want  to  go  into  the  Yankee 
navy,  or  that  I  will  lift  a  finger  against  my 
country,  mind  you." 

He  seemed  to  be  equally  unwilling  to  lift  a 
finger  for  it. 

"  I  don't  ask  you  to  do  any  thing  against  your 
conscience,  Percy." 

"If  the    Bellevite   gets   out   of   the   bay   with 


PROCEEDINGS  ON  THE  LOWER  DECK        255 

you  and  me  on  board,  I  believe  I  can  find 
some  way  to  get  back  to  Nassau.  That  is  what 
I  am  driving  at." 

"I  can't  say  that  the  steamer  will  not  go 
there,"  added  Christy,  who  did  not  mean  to 
commit  himself. 

Suddenly,  without  any  bell  from  the  pilot- 
house, the  engine  of  the  Leopard  stopped ;  but 
Christy  was  not  at  all  surprised  at  the  failure 
of  the  power,  though  Percy  began  to  make 
himself  very  indignant  over  the  stoppage  of  the 
engine. 


256  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  EXPEDITION  FROM   THE  LEOPARD 

"  What  is  the  matter  now  ?  "  demanded  Percy 
Pierson,  when  the  tug  ceased  to  shake  under 
the  pressure  of  the  engine,  and  began  to  roll 
rather  smartly  in  the  sea,  though  it  was  not 
heavy  enough  to  be  at  all  dangerous. 

"It  appears  that  the  engine  has  stopped," 
replied  Christy  quietly. 

"What  has  it  stopped  for?"  asked  the  other. 

"You  will  have  to  put  that  conundrum  to 
your  brother ;  but  doubtless  the  needs  of  the 
Confederate  States  require  that  it  should  stop." 

"  Which  is  the  bell,  Christy  ?  "  inquired  Percy, 
looking  at  the  pulls  on  the  frame  of  the  wheel. 

"The  large  one  is  the  gong  bell,  the  other  is 
the  speed  bell,  and  the  latter  is  a  jingler." 

"  Well,  which  one  do  you  ring  to  start  her  ?  " 

"One  pull  at  the  gong  bell  to  stop  or  to  start 


EXPEDITION  FROM   THE   LEOPARD  257 

her,"  replied  Christy,  who  was  rather  anxious 
to  have  his  companion  learn  the  secrets  of  the 
pilot-house. 

"  One  bell  to  stop  or  start  her,"  repeated 
Percy. 

"  Two  bells  to  back  her,"  added  the  acting 
captain. 

"  Two  bells  to  back  her.  I  can  remember  all 
that  without  writing  it  down.  But  what  is  the 
other  pull  for.  There  don't  seem  to  be  any  need 
of  any  more  bells." 

"  I  think  there  is  ;  at  least,  it  saves  striking 
too  many  strokes  on  the  gong  when  there  is  an 
emergency.     The  other  is  the  speed  bell." 

"  What  is  that  for,  to  make  her  go  faster  ?  " 

"  Yes,  or  slower.  If  you  start  the  engine,  the 
engineer  will  run  it  slowly  at  first,  and  continue 
to  do  so  till  he  gets  the  speed  bell,  or  jingler, 
which  he  can  never  mistake  for  the  gong." 

"  I  see  ;  and  that  is  a  good  scheme." 

"  If  you  are  approaching  a  wharf  or  another 
vessel,  or  if  a  fog  come  up,  you  ring  the  jingler, 
if  the  boat  is  going  at  full  speed,  and  the  engineer 
slows  her  down.  If  there  is  any  danger,  and  you 
wish  to  stop  her  as  quick  as  you   can,  you  ring 


258  TAKEN  BY   THE   ENEMY 

one  bell  on  the  gong,  which  stops  the  engine, 
and  then  two  bells  on  the  same,  which  reverses 
the  engine.  Now  let  me  see  if  yon  know  all 
about  it ;  for  your  brother  may  want  you  to  steer 
the  Leopard,  and  become  her  captain,  after  he 
has  tied  my  hands  behind  me  again."' 

"  If  he  does  that,  I  will  cut  you  loose,  Christy." 

"  Thank  you,  Percy.  I  don't  know  what  he 
will  do,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  he  is  going  to  do 
something  ; "  and  Christy  proceeded  to  examine 
his  pupil  in  the  use  of  the  bell-pulls. 

Percy  made  some  mistakes,  which  were  care- 
fully corrected ;  and,  as  he  did  so,  the  captain 
wrote  down  the  directions  in  full,  placing  the 
paper  on  the  shelf  with  the  chart. 

The  student  of  bell-pulls  signalized  the  com- 
pletion of  his  examination  by  giving  one  pull 
at  the  gong  ;  but  it  produced  no  effect  at  all  upon 
the  engine  or  the  engineer,  and  the  Leopard, 
having  fallen  off  into  the  trough  of  the  sea,  had 
begun  to  roll  more  violently  than  at  first. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  that  engineer?  ' 
pouted  Percy,  who  did  not  feel  flattered  that  hi? 
first  experience  with  the  bell-pulls  produced  no 
effect,  though  he  had  distinctly  heard  the  sound 
of  the  gong. 


EXPEDITION  FROM   THE   LEOPARD  259 

£=  The}7-  haven't  sent  any  word  up  to  the  pilot 
house  that  the  engine  is  disabled,  and  we  shall 
have  to  apply  to  Major  Pierson  for  further 
information." 

"  That  engineer  must  have  gone  to  sleep ! " 
exclaimed  Percy,  whose  vexation  was  in 
proportion  to  his  zeah 

He  rang  the  gong  again  ;  but  Christy  under- 
stood why  the  screw  did  not  turn,  though  he 
deemed  it  wise  to  keep  his  own  counsel  for  the 
present.  Percy  was  rousing  himself  to  a  passion 
at  the  neglect  of  the  engineer  to  heed  his  bell. 

*k  Keep  cool,  Percy,"  interposed  Christy. 
"  Don't  say  a  word  to  your  brother  that  you 
have  learned  to  steer  a  steamer ;  and  you  may 
have  a  chance  to  surprise  him,  and  show  that 
you  are  a  good  deal  more  of  a  fellow  than  he 
takes  you  to  be." 

"  I  don't  believe  he  will  get  such  a  chance  if 
he  don't  have  it  now.  I  wonder  what  he  is  up 
to,"  added  Percy,  restraining  his  impatience. 

"  We  can  only  wait  till  his  plans  come  out," 
added  Christy.  "  But  I  will  go  to  the  side  of  the 
hurricane  deck,  and  tell  him  that  the  engine  does 
not  respond  to  the  bells." 


260  TAKEN   BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  I  should  think  he  might  see  that  for  himself," 
said  Percy. 

"  Don't  you  say  a  word,  and  don't  you  show 
yourself  to  any  one.  Sit  down  on  that  stool, 
and  keep  quiet." 

"  I  will  do  just  what  you  tell  me,  Christy,  for 
I  believe  you  will  be  able  to  get  me  out  of  this 
scrape,"  replied  Perc}T,  as  he  seated  himself,  and 
began  to  read  over  the  instructions  relating  to 
the  bells. 

In  fact,  he  was  so  interested  in  the  new 
occupation  he  had  taken  up,  that  he  soon  forgot 
all  about  his  brother,  and  the  trouble  that  lay  in 
his  path.  He  read  the  paper,  and  applied  his 
fingers  to  the  pulls  in  a  great  many  different 
ways,  supposing  all  the  various  situations  of  the 
boat  which  Christy  had  suggested. 

Christy  went  to  the  side  of  the  upper  deck, 
and  saw  that  the  soldiers  had  hauled  in  the  boat 
that  had  been  used  by  the  lieutenant  and  his  two 
men.  It  was  a  large  and  clumsy  affair,  big 
enough  to  hold  a  dozen  men,  and  provided  with 
four  oars.  But  the  Leopard  was  in  the  trough 
of  the  sea,  and  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  for  the 
soldiers  to  handle  it  ;    and   just  then   the  major 


EXPEDITION    FROM   THE   LEOPARD  261 

declared  that  the  boat  would  be  smashed  against 
the  side  of  the  tug. 

''  Major  Pierson,  this  steamer  has  stopped 
without  any  bell  from  the  pilot-house,  and  I 
have  been  unable  to  start  her  again,"  said 
Christy,  hailing  the  commander  of  the  fort. 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Passford  :  I  told  the  engineer 
to  stop  her,"  replied  the  major,  who  appeared  to 
be  in  a  hurry,  though  he  could  not  make  the 
long-boat  work  as  he  desired.  "  Oblige  me  by 
remaining  in  the  pilot-house  for  the  present,  and 
keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  Bellevite." 

"  Certainly,  Major  Pierson,  if  you  desire  it ;  but 
permit  me  to  suggest  that  you  will  not  be  able  to 
do  any  thing  with  that  boat  while  the  tug  remains 
in  the  trough  of  the  sea,"  replied  Christy,  who  was 
more  afraid  that  the  major  would  not  carry  out 
his  plan  than  that  he  would  do  so. 

"  I  don't  see  that  it  can  be  helped,  though  I  am 
no  sailor,"  replied  the  commandant,  looking  up 
with  interest  to  the  acting  captain.  "  For  reasons 
of  my  own,  which  I  cannot  stop  to  explain,  I  don't 
wish  to  take  this  tug  any  nearer  to  the  Bellevite  ; 
and  I  am  going  off  in  the  boat  after  Dr.  Linscott. 
But  it  looks  now  as  though  the  boat  would  be 
smashed  in  pieces." 


262  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"•  I  should  say  that  it  would  be,"  added  Christy. 
"If  you  will  start  the  engine  again,  I  think  I  can 
help  you  out  of  this  difficulty." 

"  How  do  you  expect  to  do  it  ? "  asked  the 
major,  who  seemed  to  be  incredulous  on  the  point. 

"  If  you  will  let  me  get  the  tug  out  of  the 
trough  of  the  sea,  you  can  easily  haul  the  boat  up 
on  the  lee  side  of  her,"  Christy  explained.  "  The 
steamer  will  shelter  the  water  on  that  side  of  her." 

"  Spikeley  !  "  called  the  major,  in  a  loud  voice  ; 
and  the  engineer  came  out  of  his  den.  "  Start  her 
up  now." 

"  Run  her  at  about  half  speed,  major ; "  and 
the  commandant  repeated  his  direction  to  the 
engineer. 

Christy  retreated  to  the  pilot-house,  and  threw 
over  the  wheel  of  the  boat ;  so  that,  when  the  screw 
began  to  turn,  the  bow  of  the  tug  soon  headed  to 
the  southward,  which  gave  her  the  wind  ahead. 
Then  he  brought  her  so  that  the  water  was  com- 
paratively smooth  on  her  port  quarter,  where  the 
long-boat  was. 

Without  the  loss  of  a  moment,  the  major  drove 
a7l  his  men  into  the  boat,  and  they  shoved  off. 
The  men  were  soldiers,  and  they  had  had  but  little 


EXPEDITION   FROM   THE   LEOPARD  263 

practice  in  rowing,  having  taken  it  up  at  the  fort. 
They  made  rather  bad  work  of  it ;  but,  more  by 
luck  than  skill,  the  boat  cleared  the  tug  without 
being  stove. 

"  Spikeley  !  "  shouted  the  major. 

"  Here,  sir,"  replied  the  engineer,  hobbling  out 
of  his  room. 

"Stop  the  engine,  and  remember  what  I  told 
you,"  added  the  commandant. 

"  All  right,  sir :  I  will  do  just  as  you  ordered 
me." 

"  What  does  he  want  to  stop  the  engine  for  ? " 
asked  Percy.  "  She  don't  roll  so  badly  when  the 
engine  is  going." 

"  That  is  very  true ;  but  your  brother  knows 
what  he  is  about,"  replied  Christy,  his  eyes  begin- 
ning to  light  up  with  an  unwonted  fire. 

"  Well,  what  is  he  about  ?  " 

"  He  is  going  to  capture  the  Bellevite." 

"  He  will  have  a  nice  time  of  it ! "  exclaimed 
Percy.  "That  steamer  can  blow  him  out  of  the 
water  a  dozen  times  before  he  gets  near  her." 

"  I  don't  believe  your  brother  has  any  idea  that 
the  Bellevite  is  heavily  armed,"  added  Christy. 

"  But  he  has  been  on  board  of  her," 


264  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  That  is  very  true ;  but  the  two  heavy  guns 
were  covered,  up,  and  the  others  were  sent  down 
into  the  hold.  All  the  soldiers  in  the  boat  with 
your  brother  have  their  muskets ;  and  he  would 
not  have  taken  the  lieutenant  and  six  men  with 
him  if  he  were  simply  going  for  the  doctor  for 
Captain  Pecklar,  as  he  told  me  he  was." 

"  I  believe  Lindley  is  a  fool  to  think  of  such  a 
thing  as  capturing  the  Bellevite  with  eight  men," 
added  Percy. 

"  I  don't  know  what  else  he  can  intend  to  do, 
but  I  do  know  why  he  don't  take  the  tug  any 
nearer  to  the  steamer.  He  don't  want  my  father 
to  know  what  has  become  of  me." 

"  Can't  you  make  some  sort  of  a  signal  to  him, 
Christy?" 

"  I  can  do  something  better  than  that." 

"What's  that?" 

"  I  can  show  myself  to  him.  But,  before  I  do 
that,  I  must  know  how  you  stand,  Percy." 

"  How  I  stand  ?  You  know  as  much  about  me 
as  I  know  about  myself.  I  want  to  get  on  board 
of  the  Bellevite,  and  I  am  not  a  bit  anxious  to 
fight  my  brother's  battle  for  him.  I  know  what 
he  is  after,  now  I  think  of  it." 


EXPEDITION   FROM   THE   LEOPARD  265 

"Well,  what  is  he  after?" 

"  He  is  after  the  Bellevite ;  and  if  he  can 
take  her,  he  is  sure  of  a  colonel's  commis- 
sion." 

"  T  should  say  that  he  could  not  do  any  thing 
better  for  the  Confederacy  than  to  present  it 
with  the  finest  steamer  in  the  world.  But  you 
are  not  with  him,  you  say,  Percy." 

"I  am  not.  I  belong  to  the  Confederacy  the 
same  as  he  does;  but  I  want  to  get  aboard  of 
the  Bellevite,  and  then  I  shall  have  a  good  chance 
to  reach  Nassau,"  replied  Percy. 

Christy  had  a  good  deal  better  opinion  of 
Major  Pierson  than  he  had  of  his  brother  in  the 
pilot-house  with  him ;  but  just  then  the  latter 
was  able  to  be  more  useful  to  him  than  the 
commandant  of  the  fort. 

"  I  can  now  almost  promise  that  you  shall  be 
put  on  board  of  the  Bellevite,  if  I  succeed  in 
reaching  her  myself,"  said  Christy. 

"  That  is  all  I  can  expect  of  you ;  and  I 
will  do  whatever  you  tell  me,  if  it  be  to  sink 
the  Leopard.  But  we  can't  do  a  thing.  The 
engineer  will  not  start  the  engine  for  us ;  and 
I  don't  see  but  what  we  must  stay  here  till  my 


266  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

brother  comes  back  from  his  errand,  whatever  it 
may  be." 

"  I  don't  feel  quite  so  helpless  as  that,"  added 
Christy,  as  he  took  a  revolver  from  his  hip-pocket, 
where  he  had  carried  it  all  the  time  since  the 
steamer  left  Nassau,  and  while  she  was  there. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that, 
Christy?"  asked  Percy,  impressed  with  the  sight 
of  the  weapon. 

"I  am  going  to  start  this  tug  with  it,  if 
necessary.     Now  hear  me." 

Percy  was  all  attention. 


THE  ENGINEER  IN  THE  FORECASTLE        267 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE   ENGINEER    GOES    INTO   THE   FORECASTLE 

The  wind  from  the  southward  seemed  to 
be  increasing  in  force,  though  it  was  not  yet 
what  old  salts  would  call  any  thing  more  than 
half  a  gale,  and  hardly  that;  but  the  long-boat 
from  the  Leopard  made  bad  weather  of  it,  and 
rolled  wildly  in  the  trough  of  the  sea.  The 
soldiers  pulled  badly,  for  they  had  had  no  training 
in  the  use  of  the  oars,  and  very  little  experience. 

The  boat  had  made  very  little  progress  towards 
the  Bellevite,  and  Christy  was  in  no  hurry  to 
put  his  plan  in  operation.  He  showed  his 
revolver  to  Percy,  and  then  restored  it  to 
his  hip-pocket.  But  he  watched  the  expression 
of  his  companion  in  the  pilot-house  very  closely ; 
for,  as  the  case  then  stood,  one  of  them  belonged 
to  the  blue,  while  the  other  was  of  the  gray. 
But   Percy's   patriotism    was    hardly   skin    deep, 


268  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

and  he  had  already  spoken  freely  enough  to 
make  himself  understood. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  start  the 
tug  with  that  pistol  if  the  fellow  at  the  engine 
don't  look  at  it  in  that  light,"  said  Percy,  as  his 
companion  restored  the  weapon  to  his  pocket. 

"  I  don't  intend  to  use  it  if  it  can  be  avoided," 
replied  Christy.  "  I  shall  not  ask  Spikeley  to 
start  the  engine,  and  if  he  don't  interfere  with 
me,  I  shall  not  harm  him ;  for  he  seems  to  be  a 
cripple,  and  it  would  hurt  my  feelings  to  have 
to  lay  hands  on  him,  or  even  to  point  a  revolver 
at  his  head." 

"  If  Spikeley  don't  start  the  engine,  I  reckon 
it  will  not  start  itself,"  suggested  Percy. 

"  I  don't  believe  it  will." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  then  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  start  it  myself." 

"  Start  it  yourself !  You  will  blow  the  whole 
thing  up ! "  exclaimed  Percy,  who  did  not  see 
how  the  same  young  fellow  of  sixteen  could  know 
how  to  steer,  and  run  the  engine. 

"  I  have  been  on  board  the  Bellevite  a  great 
deal  of  the  time  for  the  last  three  years,  and  my 
mother  says   I  was  born    a  sailor,  as   my  father 


THE  ENGINEER  IN  THE  FORECASTLE   269 

was  before  me.  I  always  took  a  deep  interest  in 
every  thing  connected  with  the  steamer." 

"  I  should  think  you  might,  on  board  of  such 
a  fine  vessel  as  the  Bellevite." 

"  I  have  stood  my  trick  at  the  wheel  for  weeks 
together ;  and  the  quartermasters  taught  me  all 
they  knew  about  steering,  the  compass,  the  log, 
the  lead,  and  the  signals." 

"  Those  things  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
engine,"  suggested  Percy. 

"  That  is  very  true ;  but,  when  I  had  learned 
enough  in  the  pilot-house,  I  went  down  into  the 
engine  and  fire  rooms.  Mr.  Vapoor,  the  chief 
engineer,  and  I  were  in  the  same  school  together ; 
and,  though  he  is  six  years  older  than  I  am,  we 
have  been  cronies  for  four  years." 

"  And  he  told  you  about  the  engine  ?  " 

"  I  made  a  regular  study  of  the  engine,  in 
connection  with  physics,  and  Paul  "  — 

"  Paul  ?     That's  another  fellow  ?  " 

"  No :  it's  the  same  fellow,  —  Paul  Vapoor. 
Everybody  that  knows  him  says  he  is  a  genius. 
He  was  my  teacher.  But  he  told  me  that  all  the 
theory  in  the  world  would  not  make  me  an 
engineer:   I  must  have  the  experience;   and  for 


270  TAKEN   BY   THE  ENEMY 

weeks  together  I  took  the  place  of  one  of  the 
assistant  engineers.  That's  how  I  happen  to 
know  something  about  an  engine ;  and  I  have 
been  on  board  of  all  sorts  of  steamers  with  Paul, 
for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  engines,  from  a 
launch  up  to  the  biggest  ocean-steamers." 

"■Did  you  take  any  lessons  of  the  cook  on 
board  of  the  Bellevite,  Christy  ?  "  asked  Percy, 
laughing. 

"  I  used  to  ask  questions  of  him  ;  but  I  have 
served  as  cook  on  board  of  a  small  yacht,  and  I 
know  how  to  get  up  a  chowder  or  bake  a  pot  of 
beans." 

"  All  right ;  then  I  will  take  it  for  granted 
that  you  can  start  the  engine  of  the  Leopard," 
continued  Percy,  coming  back  to  the  topic  which 
interested  him  most.  "  What  are  you  going  to 
do  after  you  have  started  the  engine  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  get  on  board  of  the  Bellevite, 
and  get  you  on  board  of  her." 

"  That  will  suit  me  first  rate,"  replied  Percy. 
"  But  I  don't  want  you  to  think  I  am  a  Yankee, 
for  I  am  not." 

"  But  I  want  you  to  think  I  am  a  Yankee,  as 
you  call  it;  and  I  am  one,"  added  Christy. 


THE  ENGINEER  IN  THE  FORECASTLE        271 

"  After  we  get  on  board  of  the  Bellevite,  what 
do  you  suppose  she  will  do  ?  " 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you ;  but  I  have 
no  doubt  my  father  will  try  to  get  out  of  the 
bay,  and  then  he  will  go  to  New  York.  It  is 
about  time  to  make  a  beginning,  for  the  boat  will 
not  trouble  us  now,"  replied  Christy,  as  he  took 
a  look  all  around  the  tug. 

"  What  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  told  you  all  I  know  about  steering 
the  boat  for  nothing,  Percy,  and  you  will  remain 
at  the  wheel.  But  I  wonder  what  that  is  over 
in  the  north-west,"  added  Christy,  as  he  took 
the  glass  from  the  shelf,  and  pointed  it  out  the 
after  window  of  the  pilot-house. 

"I  think  I  can  steer  her  all  right  now.  What 
do  you  see  over  there  ?  " 

"  I  believe  there  is  a  steamer  coming  down  from 
that  direction,"  replied  Christy  anxiously,  as  he 
brought  the  glass  to  bear  on  the  object  in  sight. 

"  A  steamer  !  "  exclaimed  Percy.  "  That  will 
mix  things  with  us." 

"  Perhaps  it  will.  It  is  a  steamer,  but  it  looks 
like  a  river  boat ,  at  any  rate,  it  is  not  a  tug. 
She  is  headed  this  way." 


272  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

Christy  was  a  good  deal  disturbed  by  the 
discovery  he  made ;  and  giving  no  further  atten- 
tion to  his  companion,  he  continued  to  study 
the  approaching  craft,  at  the  same  time  endeavor- 
ing to  account  for  her  appearance.  His  uncle 
Homer  had  gone  to  find  some  one  who  was  to 
render  assistance  in  preventing  the  Belle vite 
from  leaving  the  bay,  and  becoming  a  part  of 
the  navy  of  the  Union. 

He  had  not  succeeded  in  finding  the  person 
he  sought,  but  he  had  had  abundance  of  time  to 
go  to  Mobile ;  and  Christy  feared  that  this 
steamer  coming  down  from  the  north-west  might 
be  intended  for  the  capture  of  the  Bellevite,  in 
which  case  she  must  be  armed  and  provided 
with  an  ample  force  for  the  purpose. 

"  That  is  not  a  tug-boat :  she  is  a  river  or  a 
bay  steamer,  and  I  am  afraid  she  is  faster  than 
this  thing,"  said  Christy,  when  he  had  obtained 
all  the  information  he  could  at  the  present 
time.  "  At  any  rate,  we  have  no  time  to  spare. 
Do  you  think  you  can  steer  the  Leopard, 
Percy?" 

"  I  know  I  can,"  replied  he  confidently. 

"  The  boat  with  the   major  in   it   is   losing   a 


THE  ENGINEER  IN  THE  FORECASTLE        273 

good  deal  by  lee-way,  for  he  seems  to  be  making 
no  allowance  for  it." 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  asked  Percy, 
puzzled  by  the  statement. 

"  She  has  the  wind  on  her  beam,  and  she  drifts 
to  the  north  almost  as  much  as  she  goes  ahead. 
He  ought  to  head  her  for  some  point  to  the 
southward  of  the  Bellevite  ;  but  the  more 
mistakes  he  makes,  the  better  it  will  be  for  us." 

"  I  see  that  he  don't  seem  to  be  headed 
anywhere  in  particular." 

"  Now,  Percy,  I  am  going  below  to  have  it 
out  with  Spikeley,"  continued  Christy,  taking 
the  revolver  from  his  pocket,  while  he  drew  a 
box  of  cartridges  from  another.  The  Bellevite 
drifts  as  well  as  the  boat ;  but  they  don't  let 
her  go  far  to  the  north  where  the  shoal  water 
is,  and  they  turn  the  screw  enough  to  keep  her 
pretty  nearly  in  the  same  position." 

"  I  am  to  steer  for  her,  of  course,"  added  Percy. 

"  No :  there  is  something  that  looks  like  build- 
ings on  the  shore,  at  least  five  miles  beyond  the 
steamer.     Do  you  see  them  ?  " 

"I  do." 

"  Run  for  them  ;  and  this  course  will  carry  you 


274  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

a  considerable  distance  to  the  southward  of  the 
boat.  I  shall  be  near  you  all  the  time  ;  and  if  yon 
get  bothered,  sing  out  for  me,  and  I  will  help 
you  out." 

"  Don't  you  think  I  had  better  go  below  with 
you,  so  as  to  make  a  sure  thing  with  the 
engineer?" 

"I  can  handle  him  alone;  or,  if  I  find  that  I 
cannot,  I  will  call  for  you.  Now,  look  out  veiy 
closely  for  your  steering,  and  don't  let  her  wobble 
any  more  than  you  can  help." 

Christy  left  the  pilot-house,  after  he  had  put  six 
cartridges  into  his  revolver,  and  restored  the 
weapon  to  his  pocket.  He  had  already  made  up 
his  mind  as  to  the  manner  in  which  lie  proposed 
to  dispose  of  the  engineer.  He  descended  the 
ladder  to  the  forecastle  of  the  tug :  but  before 
he  proceeded  to  the  important  task  before  him,  he 
made  a  careful  survey  of  the  accommodations  of 
the  steamer,  though  she  did  not  appear  to  be 
different  from  a  score  of  similar  vessels  he  had 
visited  in  making  his  studies. 

Under  the  pilot-house  was  the  galley,  which  was 
also  the  mess-room  of  the  crew  when  she  had  any. 
Forward  of  this,  and  under  the  forward  deck,  was 


THE  ENGINEER  IN  THE  FORECASTLE        275 

the  forecastle,  to  which  the  inquirer  descended. 
It  was  fitted  up  with  bunks,  and  there  was  only 
one  entrance  to  it,  by  a  ladder  from  a  scuttle  in 
the  deck. 

The  scuttle  was  the  interesting  point  with  him ; 
and  he  saw  that  it  was  provided  with  a  hasp  and 
staple,  so  that  the  entrance  could  be  secured  by 
a  padlock,  though  that  was  missing.  Getting  a 
piece  of  wood  from  the  deck,  he  made  a  toggle 
that  would  fit  the  staple,  and  put  the  scuttle  in  a 
convenient  place.  Leaving  the  forward  deck,  he 
went  aft,  taking  another  look  at  the  steamer  in  the 
north-west ;  but  he  could  hardly  see  her  with  the 
naked  eye,  and  he  thought  she  must  be  at  least 
five  miles  off. 

"Where  is  your  bunk,  Mr.  Spikeley?"  asked 
Christy,  as  he  went  to  the  door  of  the  engine-room. 

"What's  that  to  you,  youngster?"  demanded 
the  engineer ;  and  possibly  it  did  not  comport 
with  his  dignity  to  be  bossed  by  a  boy. 

"  It  is  rather  important  for  me  to  know  just 
now,*'  replied  Christy,  looking  as  savage  as  it  was 
possible  for  a  good-natured  boy  to  look. 

"  What  do  you  want  to  know  for  ? "  asked 
Spikeley. 


276  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

"  I  happen  to  be  in  command  of  this  tug  for  the 
present  moment,  and  I  Avant  an  answer  without 
stopping  all  day  to  talk  about  it." 

"  Well,  youngster,  I  don't  reckon  I'll  tell  you 
any  thing  about  it.  I  get  my  orders  from  Major 
Pierson,"  replied  the  engineer  sourly. 

"  The  Leopard  is  in  my  charge,  and  I  must  ask 
you  to  show  me  where  your  bunk  is;  and  after 
you  have  done  that,  I  shall  ask  you  to  get  into  it, 
and  stay  there,"  said  Christy,  with  decision  enough 
for  the  needs  of  the  occasion. 

At  the  same  time  he  took  the  revolver  from  his 
pocket,  and  pointed  it  towards  the  head  of  the 
engineer. 

"  You  can  take  your  choice,  Mr.  Spikele}^ :  you 
can  get  into  your  bunk,  or  have  your  carcass 
thrown  into  the  bay ,  and  you  haven't  got  a  great 
while  to  think  of  it." 

The  engineer  seemed  to  be  properly  impressed 
by  the  sight  of  the  weapon,  and  he  could  see  that 
the  chambers  contained  cartridges.  He  rose  from 
his  seat,  and  moved  towards  the  door  of  the 
engine-room. 

"  I  heard  some  of  the  men  say  you  was  a  Yank, 
and  I  reckon  you  be,"  said  Spikeley.  "  What  are 
you  go'n  to  do  ?  " 


"The  Exgineer  Obeyed"    (Page  277) 


THE   ENGINEER  IN   THE   FORECASTLE        277 

"  I  am  going  to  get  you  into  your  bunk,  where 
you  will  be  more  comfortable  than  you  are  here. 
Move  on!" 

The  man  obeyed ;  for  he  was  unarmed,  and  he 
did  not  like  the  looks  of  the  revolver.  Without 
another  word,  he  moved  forward,  and  descended 
to  the  forecastle.  As  soon  as  he  was  below  the 
deck,  Christy  closed  the  scuttle,  and  secured  it 
with  the  toggle. 


278  TAKEN  BY    THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE   FIRST  LESSON   FOE,   A  SAILOR 

As  the  engineer  was  a  cripple,  Christy  Passford 
had  not  expected  to  have  any  difficulty  in  bring- 
ing him  to  terms;  and  the  result  justified  his 
calculations.  The  Leopard  was  now  practically 
in  his  possession,  for  Captain  Pecklar  was  the 
only  person  on  board,  except  Percy,  who  could 
give  him  any  trouble ;  and  he  was  too  feeble  to 
do  any  thing. 

Percy  seemed  to  be  very  busy  in  the  pilot- 
house, going  through  imaginary  evolutions  at  the 
wheel,  and  supposing  all  sorts  of  orders,  and  all 
kinds  of  positions  in  which  the  tug  might  be 
placed.  He  did  not  seem  even  to  observe  what 
his  companion  was  doing,  though  the  engineer 
had  been  driven  into  the  forecastle  in  plain  sight 
from  the  window  of  the  pilot-house. 

The  long-boat  was  still  struggling  through  the 


THE   FIRST  LESSON  FOR  A  SAILOR  279 

waves  on  her  way  to  the  Bellevite,  and  could 
hardly  have  made  any  worse  weather  of  such  a 
comparatively  mild  sea.  But  she  had  made  some 
considerable  progress,  for  the  boat  was  now 
making  a  proper  allowance  for  leeway,  and  the 
soldiers  were  improving  in  their  rowing,  possibly 
under  the  direction  of  the  major,  who  could  not 
help  seeing  how  badly  they  had  been  doing. 

Christy  decided  to  ascertain  more  definitely 
the  condition  of  Captain  Pecklar,  for  reports  in 
in  regard  to  him  were  conflicting.  He  went  to 
his  state-room,  and  found  him  in  his  berth. 
He  certainly  looked  like  a  very  sick  man,  though 
he  appeared  to  be  in  no  immediate  danger,  so 
far  as  the  new  captain  of  the  Leopard  was  able 
to  judge  from  his  appearance. 

"  How  do  you  find  yourself,  Captain  Pecklar  ?  " 
asked  Christy  in  sympathetic  tones ;  for  he 
really  pitied  the  poor  man,  far  away  from  his 
friends,  and  apparently  on  the  very  brink  of  the 
grave. 

"  I  am  a  great  deal  better,"  replied  the  invalid, 
looking  earnestly  into  the  face  of  the  young  man 
in  front  of  him. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.     Major  Pierson  has  gone 


280  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

in  the  boat  to  the  Bellevite  for  Dr.  Linscott, 
and  I  am  sure  he  will  be  able  to  do  something  for 
you  when  he  comes,"  added  Christy. 

"When  he  comes,"  repeated  Captain  Pecklar, 
with  a  smile  on  his  thin  and  blue  lips.  "  I  don't 
expect  to  see  him  at  present." 

"  But  the  major  has  gone  for  him ;  at  least,  he 
told  me  he  should." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  he  told  you  so ;  but  he  has 
not  gone  for  the  doctor,  though  I  may  see  the 
surgeon  of  the  steamer  in  the  course  of  the  day," 
replied  the  captain,  turning  his  gaze  upon  the 
floor  of  his  room,  as  though  his  mind  troubled 
him  as  much  as  his  body. 

"If  the  major  has  not  gone  for  the  doctor, 
what  has  he  gone  for  ? "  asked  Christy. 

"I  know  what  he  has  gone  for;  and,  as  you 
belong  on  board  of  that  steamer,  I  should  think 
you  might  easily  imagine." 

"  Perhaps  I  can,"  added  Christy  rather  vaguely. 

"  Was  it  necessary  for  a  major  and  a  lieutenant, 
with  six  soldiers,  to  go  for  the  doctor,  when  five 
at  the  most  could  have  done  it  better?  But  have 
they,  gone  ?  "  asked  the  captain  anxiously. 

"  They  have  ;  they  started  some  time  ago.     They 


THE  FIRST  LESSON  FOR  A  SAILOR  281 

are  making  bad  weather  of  it,  for  they  don't 
know  how  to  handle  the  boat  in  a  sea,"  replied 
Christy. 

"  They  have  gone !  "  exclaimed  Captain  Pecklar, 
getting  out  of  his  bunk.  "  Then  I  need  not  stay 
in  my  berth  any  longer." 

Christy  looked  at  him  with  astonishment  when 
he  saw  him  get  out  of  his  berth  without  any 
apparent  difficulty ;  for  he  certainly  looked  like  a 
very  sick  man,  though  his  appearance  had  some- 
what improved  since  he  left  the  pilot-house. 

"Do  you  feel  able  to  get  up,  captain?"  asked 
he,  as  the  sufferer  put  on  his  coat. 

"I  was  exhausted  and  worn  out  by  being  on 
duty  all  night,  and  I  had  a  faint  turn ;  but 
I  am  subject  to  them.  If  you  are  the  son  of 
the  man  that  owns  that  steamer,  you  will  be  able 
to  understand  me,"  replied  the  captain ;  and  his 
feeble  condition  seemed  to  make  him  somewhat 
timid.' 

"  I  am  the  son  of  Captain  Passford,  who  owns 
the  Bellevite,"  added  Christy. 

"  I  should  not  have  been  down  here  now,  if  I 
could  have  got  away ;  but  they  seem  to  hold 
on  to  me,  for  the  reason  that  I  am  a  pilot   of 


282  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

these  waters.  I  was  brought  up  in  the  pilot- 
house of  a  steamer ;  arid  they  say  I  know  the 
bottom  of  this  bay  better  than  any  other  man, 
though  I  have  been  here  but  two  years." 

"  Then  you  are  not  in  sympathy  with  the 
secession  movement  ?  " 

"  In  sympathy  with  it  ?  I  hate  the  very  sound 
of  the  word !     I  will  tell  you  about  it." 

"  Don't  be  long  about  it,  for  I  have  an  affair 
on  my  hands,"  interposed  Christy,  though  he 
was  not  sorry  to  have  the  advice  of  one  who  knew 
something  about  the  situation  in  the  vicinity. 

"  Only  a  minute.  Major  Pierson  sent  a  glass 
of  brandy  to  me,  and  I  was  fit  to  take  my  place  in 
the  pilot-house  then,  for  I  felt  a  great  deal  better; 
in  fact,  I  was  as  well  as  usual,  and  I  am  now. 
But  I  had  an  idea  what' the  major  was  about, 
and  I  did  not  want  to  take  any  part  in  getting 
your  father's  steamer  into  trouble.  That's  the 
whole  of  it ;  all  I  want  is  to  get  on  board  of 
her,  and  get  out  of  this  country." 

"  All  right,  Captain  Pecklar  !  "  exclaimed 
Christy,  delighted  at  the  frankness  of  his  com- 
panion. "  The  steamer,  I  mean  the  tug,  is 
already  in  my  possession." 


THE  FIRST  LESSOX  FOR  A  SAILOR  283 

"  In  your  possession  !  What  do  you  mean 
by  that  ? "  asked  the  captain  with  a  look  of 
astonishment. 

"  I  have  driven  the  engineer  into  the  fore- 
castle, and  fastened  him  down.  The  major's 
brother  is  in  the  pilot-house,  and  he  has  learned 
something  about  handling  the  wheel.  I  am  going 
to  start  the  boat  now  ;  and  if  I  can  do  nothing 
more,  I  can  show  myself  to  my  father  on  board 
of  the  Bellevite." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  I  intended  to  do 
something,  though  I  hardly  knew  what,  as  soon 
as  I  was  sure  that  the  major  and  his  men  had 
gone,"  added  Captain  Pecklar.  "  I  can  take  the 
wheel  now.'1 

"  Percy  Pierson  takes  a  great  deal  of  interest 
in  his  new  occupation,  and  I  think  it  will  be 
best  to  let  him  occupy  his  mind  in  that  way. 
He  steered  the  tug  for  some  time,  while  I  was 
ascertaining  what  was  going  on  in  this  part  of 
the  boat.1' 

"  Just  as  you  think  best,  Mr.  Passford." 

"  Call  me  Christy,  for  that  will  sound  more 
natural  to  me." 

"  As  you  please,  Christy.     I  am  competent  to 


284  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

run  an  engine,  and  did  it  once  for  a  couple  of 
years,  though  the  business  does  not  agree  with 
me." 

"  Very  well,  Captain  Pecklar ;  then  you  shall 
run  the  engine,  and  I  will  keep  the  run  of  what 
is  going  on  around  us,"  said  Christy,  as  he 
walked  towards  the  stern  of  the  tug.  "  There 
is  a  new  danger  off  in  the  north-west." 

"What's  that?"  asked  the  captain. 

"  There  is  another  steamer  coming  in  this 
direction,  and  I  suppose  she  hails  from  Mobile. 
There  she  is." 

Christy  was  somewhat  disturbed  to  find  that 
the  approaching  steamer  was  overhauling  the 
tug  very  rapidly.  It  looked  as  though  she 
would  prove  to  be  a  more  important  factor  in 
the  immediate  future  than  he  had  supposed.  If 
he  could  only  get  on  board  of  the  Bellevite,  he 
was  sure  that  she  could  run  away  from  any 
thing  that  floated.  But  there  was  not  another 
moment  to  be  lost,  and  he  hastened  on  deck  to 
have  the  Leopard  started.  He  found  Percy  still 
engaged  with  his  problems  in  steering,  going 
through  all  the  forms  as  though  the  boat  were 
actually  under  way. 


THE  FIRST  LESSON  FOR  A  SAILOR  285 

"Now  you  may  do  it  in  earnest,  Percy,"  said 
he.  "  We  are  all  ready  to  go  ahead.  Strike 
your  gong." 

"  It  will  be  no  use  to  strike  it  while  you  are 
up  here,"  replied  the  pilot,  looking  at  Christy, 
with  interest. 

"  We  have  not  a  second  to  spare ;  strike  your 
gong,  and  we  will  talk  about  it  afterwards," 
continued  Christy  impatiently. 

"  But  I  am  not  a  fool,  Christy,  and  I  don't "  — 

"  But  I  do ! "  interposed  the  acting  captain 
sharply,  as  he  reached  over  and  pulled  the 
bell. 

"  I  don't  like  to  have  a  fellow  fool  with  me 
when  I  am  in  earnest.  What  good  will  it  do  to 
ring  the  bell  while  you  are  in  the  pilot-house, 
Christy?" 

But  before  the  captain  could  answer  the 
question,  if  he  intended  to  do  so,  the  boat 
began  to  shake  under  the  pressure  of  the  engine, 
and  the  tug  moved  ahead  at  half  speed.  Percy 
was  so  much  astonished  that  he  could  hardly 
throw  over  the  wheel,  and  Christy  took  hold 
of  it  himself. 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  said  he,  as  he  took 


286  TAKEN   BY  THE   ENEMY 

hold  of  the  spokes,  and  looked  ahead  to  get 
the  course  of  the  boat. 

"You  will  never  make  a  sailor  till  you  mend 
your  ways,"  added  Christy. 

"  There  must  be  some  one  in  the  engine-room," 
said  Percy. 

"  Of  course  there  is." 

"  Why  didn't  you  say  so,  then  ?  I  did  not 
suppose  the  boat  could  go  ahead  while  you  were 
up  here." 

"  I  told  you  to  ring  the  gong,  didn't  I  ?  " 

"  What  was  the  use  of  ringing  it  when  you  were 
in  the  pilot-house  ?  " 

"  What  was  the  use  of  ringing  it  when  I  did  ?  " 
demanded  Christy,  who  had  but  little  patience 
with  this  kind  of  a  sailor. 

"  You  knew  there  was  some  one  in  the  engine- 
room." 

"  But  the  engine  would  have  started  just  the 
same  if  you  had  rung  the  gong." 

"Well,  I  didn't  know  it;  and  if  you  had  only 
said  you  had  an  engineer,  I  should  have  under- 
stood it." 

"  You  will  never  make  a  sailor,  as  I  said  before," 
added  Christy. 


THE  FIRST  LESSON  FOR  A  SAILOR  287 

"  What  is  the  reason  I  won't  ?  " 

"  Because  you  don't  obey  orders,  and  that  is 
the  first  and  only  business  of  a  sailor." 

"  If  you  had  only  told  me,  it  would  have  been 
all  right." 

"If  the  captain,  in  an  emergency,  should  tell 
you  to  port  the  helm,  you  could  not  obey  the 
order  till  he  had  explained  why  it  was  given ;  and 
by  that  time  the  ship  might  go  to  the  bottom.  I 
can't  trust  you  with  the  wheel  if  you  don't  do 
better  than  you  have ;  for  I  have  no  time  to 
explain  what  I  am  about,  and  I  should  not  do  it 
if  I  had." 

"  It  would  not  have  taken  over  half  an  hour  to 
tell  me  there  was  an  engineer  in  the  engine-room," 
growled  Percy. 

"  That  is  not  the  way  to  do  things  on  board  of 
a  vessel,  and  I  object  to  the  method.  I  don't 
know  what  there  is  before  us,  and  I  don't  mean 
to  give  an  order  which  is  not  likely  to  be  obeyed 
till  I  have  explained  its  meaning." 

"I  will  do  as  you  say,  Christy,"  said  Percy 
rather  doggedly.  "  Did  Spikeley  agree  to  run  the 
engine  ?  " 

"  No,  he  did  not ;  he  is  locked  up  in  the  fore- 


288  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

castle.  Captain  Pecklar  is  at  the  engine ;  but  he 
is  all  ready  to  take  the  wheel  when  I  say  the 
word." 

"  I  can  keep  the  wheel,  for  I  think  I  understand 
it  very  well  now." 

"I  did  not  wish  to  take  you  away  from  the 
wheel,  for  I  saw  that  you  liked  the  work ;  and  I 
said  so  to  Captain  Pecklar.  If  3^ou  have  learned 
the  first  lesson  a  sailor  has  to  get  through  his  head, 
all  right;  if  not,  Captain  Pecklar  will  take  the 
wheel." 

"  I  understand  the  case  better  now,  and  I  will 
do  just  what  you  tell  me,"  protested  Percy. 

"And  without  asking  any  questions?" 

"  I  won't  ask  a  question  if  the  whole  thing  drops 
from  under  me." 

Percy  steered  very  well,  and  Christy  had 
enough  to  do  to  watch  the  steamer  astern  and  the 
boat  ahead. 


THE  POST  OF  DUTY  289 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

THE  POST  OF  DUTY  AND  OF  DANGEE 

The  long-boat,  with  the  increased  experience  of 
its  crew,  was  doing  very  well,  and  it  would  soon 
be  within  hailing-distance  of  the  Bellevite.  But 
Major  Pierson  could  hardly  help  discovering  that 
the  Leopard  was  under  way,  though  he  seemed  to 
give  his  whole  attention  to  the  boat  and  the 
steamer  ahead  of  him. 

Christy  went  aft  to  ascertain  the  situation  of 
the  steamer  from  the  north-west,  and  with  the 
glass  he  satisfied  himself  that  she  was  not  exactly 
a  river  steamer,  such  as  he  had  seen  on  the 
Alabama ;  or,  if  she  was,  she  had  been  altered  to 
fit  her  for  duty  on  the  bay. 

He  could  see  that  she  had  brass  guns  on  her 
forward  deck,  and  a  considerable  force  of  soldiers 
or  sailors.  But  she  was  a  nondescript  craft,  and 
he  was  unable  to  make  her  out  accurately,  though 


290  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

by  this  time  she  was  not  more  than  half  a  mile 
distant.  No  immediate  danger  was  to  be  appre- 
hended from  her,  unless  she  opened  fire  with  the 
field-pieces  on  her  deck.  As  the  Leopard  was  in 
the  service  of  the  forts,  she  was  not  likely  to  do 
this  till  she  knew  more  of  the  present  situation  on 
board  of  her. 

Christy  had  made  up  a  new  course  for  the  tug 
when  he  saw  the  change  in  the  working  of  the 
long-boat,  and  the  approaching  steamer  had  an 
influence  in  his  calculations.  He  had  directed  the 
new  pilot  to  head  her  directly  for  the  Bellevite, 
only  taking  care  to  give  the  long-boat  a  sufficiently 
wide  berth  to  prevent  the  soldiers  from  boarding 
her,  and  with  steam  it  would  be  an  easy  thing  to 
keep  out  of  its  way. 

Christy  went  below  to  the  engine-room  to 
ascertain  the  condition  of  Captain  Pecklar.  He 
found  him  eating  his  breakfast,  which  he  took 
from  a  basket  he  had  evidently  brought  with 
him  from  the  shore  the  day  before.  He  seemed 
to  have  an  appetite ;  and,  from  the  food  he 
consumed,  the  acting  captain  did  not  believe 
he  could  be  in  a  desperate  situation. 

"How    do    you    get    on,    Captain    Pecklar?" 


THE   POST   OF  DUTY  291 

asked  Christy,  as  he  glanced  at  the  engine,  and 
judged  that  it  was  moving  more  rapidly  than 
at  any  time  before. 

"  I  am  a  good  deal  better,  Christy  :  in  fact,  the 
thought  of  getting  out  of  this  country  is  almost 
enough  to  cure  me ;  for  I  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  I  had  rather  die  at  home  than  live 
here,"  replied  the  captain,  as  he  put  an  enormous 
piece  of  beef  into  his  mouth,  which  his  companion 
thought  would  be  almost  enough  for  his 
breakfast. 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  better.  How  does  the 
engine  work  ?  "  asked  Christy. 

"  I  have  been  stirring  it  up,  and  I  just  filled 
up  the  furnaces.  I  think  she  is  doing  her  best, 
though  that  is  not  saying  a  great  deal.  But, 
Christy,  have  you  tried  to  get  a  look  over  beyond 
the  Bellevite  ?  " 

"No,  I  haven't  seen  any  thing  in  that  direc- 
tion," replied  Christy,  a  little  startled  by  the 
question. 

"  I  believe  there  is  another  steamer  over  there  ; 
and,  if  there  is,  it  must  be  the  Dauphine." 

"  What  of  her  ?  "  asked  Christy  anxiously. 

"  She  is   a   steam-yacht  of  four  hundred  tons, 


292  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

and  the  fastest  steamer  in  these  waters.  They 
have  been  fitting  her  up  for  the  war,  though  I 
don't  know  whether  she  is  to  be  a  man-of-war 
or  a  blockade-runner." 

"What  makes  you  think  it  is  she?" 

"  Because  she  has  been  over  to  the  town  you 
may  have  seen  in  that  direction.  She  is  behind 
the  Bellevite,  so  that  you  can  hardly  see  her." 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  Bellevite  can 
take  care  of  herself,"  replied  Christy. 

"Why,  the  Bellevite  cannot  do  any  thing  but 
run  away ;  and  Major  Pierson  says  she  will  never 
do  that  till  you  have  been  taken  on  board  of 
her.  I  heard  him  and  Lieutenant  Dallberg  talk 
it  all  over  near  the  door  of  my  room." 

"  Perhaps  the  Bellevite  can  do  something  more 
than  run  away,"  added  Christy  with  a  smile. 

"What  do  you  mean,  my  friend?"  asked  the 
captain,  suspending  the  operation  of  his  jaws, 
he  was  so  interested  in  the  answer  to  his  ques- 
tion. "  The  major  said  distinctly  that  she  was  a 
gentleman's  pleasure-yacht,  and  that  she  was  not 
armed." 

"The  major  has  a  right  to  his  opinion,  and  I 
shall  not  argue  the  point  against  him.     My  father 


THE   TOST   OF   DUTY  293 

came  into  the  bay  on  a  peaceful  errand,  and  he 
had  no  intention  to  be  aggressive." 

"  All  right,  Christy ;  I  can  see  through  plain 
glass  even  when  there  isn't  a  hole  in  it,"  said 
Captain  Pecklar,  laughing ;  for  he  seemed  to  be 
entirely  satisfied  with  the  situation,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  two  hostile  steamers  appeared 
to  menace  the  Bellevite,  which  he  hoped  would 
bear  him  to  his  home. 

"  Now,  what  do  you  know  of  the  steamer  astern 
of  us  ?  "  asked  Christy. 

' '•  That  must  be  the  Belle.  She  is  no  match 
for  an  armed  steamer,  but  she  may  do  a  great 
deal  of  mischief.  She  used  to  run  down  the 
bay  in  the  summer." 

"  I  will  go  up  to  the  pilot-house,  and  see  if  I 
can  make  out  the  Dauphine.  If  she  is  a  sea-going 
yacht,  she  is  the  one  we  have  to  fear,"  said 
Christy,  as  he  left  the  engine-room. 

"  See  here,  Christy ;  there  is  another  steamer 
over  beyond  the  Bellevite,  and  she  is  pretty 
near  her,  too,"  said  Percy,  as  he  entered  the 
pilot-house. 

The  acting  captain  brought  his  glass  to  bear 
over  the  Bellevite,  and  he  was  satisfied  that  the 


294  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

approaching  vessel  was  the  yacht  described  by- 
Captain  Pecklar.  But  he  had  hardly  got  his 
eye  on  the  Dauphine,  before  he  saw  that  the 
Bellevite  had  started  her  screw.  It  looked  as 
though  she  deemed  it  advisable  to  change  her 
position  in  view  of  the  approach  of  the  steamers 
on  each  side  of  her. 

"  Where  is  she  going,  Christy  ?  "  asked  Percy. 

"  I  am  sure  I  cannot  tell  you.  You  can  see  all 
that  I  can  see,"  replied  Christy,  who  was  very 
anxious  about  the  situation. 

"  We  are  not  a  great  way  from  the  long-boat," 
suggested  Percy,  who  was  more  afraid  of  that 
than  he  was  of  all  the  steamers  in  sight.  "What 
am  I  to  steer  for  now  ?  Shall  I  make  her  follow 
the  Bellevite  ?  " 

"  Head  her  off  to  the  north-east,"  replied 
Christy,  opening  the  binnacle. 

But  he  might  as  well  have  opened  the  book  of 
the  black  art  to  Percy,  for  he  could  not  steer 
by  compass.  Christy  got  the  Leopard  on  her 
new  course,  by  which  she  would  come  somewhere 
near  intercepting  the  Bellevite ;  and  then  he  found 
an  object  on  the  shore,  many  miles  distant,  for 
the  guidance  of  the  pilot. 


THE   POST   OF  DUTY  295 

But  the  long-boat  was  now  almost  within 
hailing-distance  of  the  Leopard.  Major  Pierson 
was  certainly  aware  that  the  tug  was  under  way, 
and  he  made  the  most  energetic  demonstrations 
for  her  to  stop  her  screw.  Suddenly  the  Belle- 
vite  changed  her  course  again,  and  run  directly 
towards  the  tug. 

This  movement  was  apparently  noticed  by  the 
major ;  for  his  men  doubled  their  efforts  at  the  oars, 
pulling  for  the  Leopard.  The  boat  was  then  out 
of  the  trough  of  the  sea,  and  its  progress  was 
much  better.  Then  the  Belle vite  changed  her 
course  again ;  and  it  was  impossible  to  determine 
what  she  intended  to  do,  though  possibly  she 
was  following  a  crooked  channel. 

"  Leopard,  ahoy  !  "  shouted  Major  Pierson  ; 
and  he  was  near  enough  now  to  be  distinctly 
heard. 

"  In  the  boat !  "  returned  Christy,  though  he 
knew  the  parley  could  amount  to  nothing. 

"  Stop  her  !  "  yelled  the  major. 

"  Not  yet !  "  replied  the  acting  captain. 

"  Stop,  or  I  will  fire  into  you  !  " 

"  I'm  not  going  to  stand  here  and  be  shot 
down  !  "    exclaimed    Percy.      "  My  brother   don't 


296  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

know  that  I  am  at  the  wheel,  and  I  shall  be  the 
first  one  to  get  hit." 

Christy  could  not  blame  Percy  for  not  wishing 
to  be  shot  by  the  party  under  his  brother's 
command;  and  he  had  no  more  relish  for  being 
shot  himself,  quite  in  sight  of  his  father's 
steamer.  But  to  abandon  the  helm  was  to 
abandon  the  control  of  the  tug,  and  the  major 
could  recover  possession  of  her  and  of  his 
prisoner  within  a  few  minutes. 

"  Go  below,  Percy,  and  put  yourself  in  the 
fire-room,  for  you  will  be  safe  there,"  said 
Christ}'-. 

At  that  moment  the  crack  of  a  mnsket  was 
heard,  and  a  bullet  crashed  through  the  pine 
boards  of  the  pilot-house.  It  was  the  first 
evidence  of  actual  war  which  Christy  had  seen, 
and  it  impressed  him  strongly. 

"It  isn't  safe  for  me  to  show  myself,"  said 
Percy,  as  his  companion  took  the  wheel  from  him. 

"  You  must  be  your  own  judge  of  that," 
replied  Christy,  as  he  dropped  down  on  the 
floor,  with  the  compass  in  his  hand. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  down  there  ? " 
asked  Percy. 


THE  POST  OF  DUTY  297 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  be  shot  any  more  than  you 
have.  I  am  going  to  keep  out  of  sight,  and  steer 
the  steamer  by  compass,"  replied  Christy. 

"  I  will  steer  her  if  I  can  keep  out  of  sight," 
added  Percy. 

"You  can't  steer  by  compass;  but  you  can  do 
something  if  you  are  willing,"  suggested  the  pilot. 

"  I  am  willing  to  do  all  I  can  ;  but  I  don't 
want  my  brother  to  shoot  me,  as  much  for  his 
sake  as  my  own.  What  shall  I  do?"  asked 
Percy. 

"  Crawl  out  of  the  pilot-house  on  the  port- 
side,  where  they  can't  see  you  from  the  boat, 
and  then  keep  watch  of  all  the  other  steamers. 
Report  to  me  just  where  they  all  are,  and  what 
they  are  doing." 

"  All  right ;  I  will  do  that,"  replied  Percy,  as 
he  obeyed  the  order. 

The  boat  continued  to  fire  at  the  pilot-house 
of  the  Leopard,  and  though  a  shot  came  uncom- 
fortably near  Christy,  he  stuck  to  his  post ;  for 
to  leave  it  was  to  give  up  the  battle. 

"  The  Bellevite  is  headed  directly  towards 
us,"  called  Percy,  outside  of  the  pilot-house. 
"  The  other  steamers  are  just  as  they  were." 


298  TAKEN   BY    THE   ENEMY 

"  All  right ;  keep  your  eye  on  them  all  the 
time." 

"  The  Bellevite  is  headed  directly  towards  us," 
said  Captain  Pecklar,  coming  to  the  top  of  the 
ladder  on  the  port-side. 

"  So  Percy  has  just  reported  to  me." 

"  But  you  will  get  killed  if  you  stay  here," 
said  the  captain,  with  genuine  solicitude  in  his 
looks  and  manner. 

"  But  I  must  stay  here,  all  the  same,"  replied 
Christy,  who  felt  too  proud  to  desert  the  post  of 
duty  because  it  happened  to  be  the  post  of  danger 
at  the  same  time. 

"  But  let  me  take  your  place,  Christy,"  contin- 
ued Captain  Pecklar,  finishing  the  ascent  of  the 
ladder. 

"  No,  no,  captain !  Don't  expose  yourself," 
protested  Christy.  "  It  is  as  safe  for  me  as  it  will 
be  for  you." 

"  But  I  have  got  about  to  the  end  of  my  chap- 
ter of  life ;  and  there  is  not  more  than  a  year,  if 
there  is  as  much  as  that,  left  for  me.  You  are  a 
young  fellow,  and  the  pride  of  your  father,  I  have 
no  doubt;  at  any  rate,  you  ought  to  be.  Give  me 
that  place,  and  you  will  be  safer  in  the  engine- 
room." 


THE  POST  OF  DUTY  299 

Captain  Pecklar  insisted  for  some  time,  but 
Christy  obstinately  refused  to  leave  his  post. 

"  Men  pulling  in  the  boat  with  all  their  might !  " 
shouted  Percy. 

"  I  think  I  can  bring  their  labors  in  that  way  to 
an  end,"  added  the  captain.  "  But  do  you  under- 
stand what  the  Bellevite  is  doing,  Christy?" 

"  She  is  coming  this  way ;  that  is  all  I  know." 

"  She  is  coming  this  way  because  the  major  has 
been  fool  enough  to  fire  on  the  Leopard.  The 
shooting  assures  your  father  that  this  tug  is  an 
enemy." 

The  captain  went  below  again,  leaving  Christy 
to  consider  his  last  remark.  But  he  had  not  been 
gone  five  minutes  before  the  report  of  a  cannon 
shook  the  hull  of  the  Leopard,  and  the  pilot  saw 
that  it  was  on  the  forecastle  of  the  tug. 


300  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

A   CANNON-BALL    THROUGH    THE   LEOPARD 

The  gun  on  the  forecastle  of  the  Leopard  was 
placed  as  far  aft  as  possible,  so  that  Christy  could 
not  see  it  without  putting  his  head  out  at  the 
front  windows  of  the  pilot-house,  and  for  this 
reason  he  had  not  seen  what  Captain  Pecklar  was 
about.  But  the  piece  must  have  been  loaded 
before,  for  he  could  not  have  charged  it  without 
being  seen. 

The  captain  had  remarked  that  he  could  bring 
the  labors  of  those  in  the  long-boat  to  an  end,  for 
Major  Pierson  was  urging  his  men  to  their  utmost 
with  their  oars  in  order  to  reach  the  tug.  The 
smoke  prevented  Christy  from  seeing  to  what 
extent  he  had  succeeded,  though  the  fact  that  he 
had  fired  the  gun  at  the  boat  was  all  he  needed  to 
satisfy  him  of  the  fidelity  of  the  acting  engineer 
to  the  cause  he  had  just  espoused. 


A  CANNON-BALL  301 

Christy  had  not  deemed  it  advisable  to  change 
the  course  of  the  Leopard ;  for  the  long-boat  was 
approaching  her  at  right  angles,  and  he  thought 
she  would  get  out  of  its  way,  for  those  in  charge 
of  it  made  no  calculation  of  the  distance  the 
tug  would  run  while  the  boat  was  approaching 
her. 

.  The  smoke  blew  aside  in  a  moment,  and  Christy 
discovered  that  the  long-boat  had  not  been  struck 
by  the  shot ;  or,  if  it  had,  it  had  received  no 
material  damage.  The  major  was  still  urging  his 
men  to  increase  their  efforts,  and  he  seemed  to  be 
not  at  all  disconcerted  by  the  shot  which  had  been 
fired  at  him.  But  Christy  saw  that  he  was  losing 
the  game,  as  he  probably  would  not  have  done  if 
he  had  been  a  sailor,  for  his  calculations  would 
have  been  better  made. 

When  the  pilot  of  the  Leopard  realized  that 
the  major  was  too  much  occupied  in  increasing  the 
speed  of  the  long-boat  to  continue  the  firing  at  the 
tug,  he  had  resumed  his  place  at  the  window  ;  but 
he  kept  his  eye  on  the  enemy.  He  looked  out  at 
the  window ;  but  he  could  not  see  Captain  Pecklar, 
though  he  heard  him  shovelling  coal  a  minute 
later.     Tha  engine  still  appeared  to  be  doing  its 


302  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

best,  and  the  tug  was  in  a  fair  way  to  pass  clear 
of  the  long-boat. 

"  Look  out,  up  there,  Christy ! "  shouted  the 
engineer,  a  little  later. 

The  pilot  turned  his  attention  to  the  boat  again, 
and  saw  that  the  major  and  the  lieutenant  were 
loading  their  muskets  again,  and  the  two  men  not 
at  the  oars  were  doing  the  same.  The  command- 
ant evidently  began  to  feel  that  he  was  to  miss  his 
prey  if  he  depended  upon  the  oars  of  the  soldiers, 
and  he  was  about  to  turn  his  attention  again  to 
the  business  of  disabling  the  pilot  of  the  tug. 
Christy  dropped  down  on  the  floor  again,  and 
steered  by  the  compass,  which  was  still  where  he 
had  placed  it  before. 

He  could  hear  a  rumbling  sound  on  the  forward 
deck,  and  he  was  curious  to  know  what  the 
captain  was^  doing ;  but  it  was  not  prudent  to  look 
out  at  the  window.  After  a  great  deal  of  hard 
kicking  and  prying,  he  succeeded  in  removing  a 
narrow  board  from  the  front  of  the  pilot-house 
near  the  floor ;  and  through  this  aperture  he  could 
see  that  the  acting  engineer  had  just  finished 
reloading  the  gun,  and  was  changing  its  position 
so  as  to  bring  it  to  bear  on  the  long-boat. 


A  CANNON-BALL  303 

The  enemy  were  now  a  little  forward  of  the 
beam  of  the  tug,  and  not  more  than  fifty  yards 
from  her;  but  Christy  was  satisfied  that  the 
Leopard  would  go  clear  of  the  long-boat  if  his 
craft  was  not  disabled.  The  major  and  his  com- 
panions could  not  help  seeing  that  Captain 
Pecklar  had  deserted  their  cause,  and  that,  with 
the  gun  on  the  deck,  he  was  a  dangerous 
enemy. 

The  report  of  a  musket  in  the  direction  of  the 
boat  caused  Christy  to  look  very  anxiously  to 
the  forward  deck ;  but  to  his  great  satisfaction  he 
saw  that  the  captain  had  not  been  hit.  But 
he  immediately  retired  under  the  pilot-house,  so 
that  he  could  not  see  him.  He  was  brave 
enough  to  stand  up  and  be  shot  at,  but  he 
was  also  prudent  enough  not  to  expose  himself 
unnecessarily. 

Three  other  shots  followed  the  first,  one  of 
the  balls  passing  through  the  boards  of  the 
pilot-house,  above  the  helmsman's  head ;  and  he 
saw  a  splinter  fly  from  a  stanchion  forward. 
Captain  Pecklar  waited  for  the  fourth  shot,  — 
and  he  had  evidently  noticed  how  many  men  had 
muskets   in   their   hands,  —  then   he   sprang   out 


304  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

from  his  hiding-place,  sighted  the  gun,  and 
pulled  the  lock-string. 

Through  the  aperture  he  had  made,  Christy 
looked  with  intense  interest  to  ascertain  the 
effect  of  this  shot.  As  soon  as  the  smoke  blew 
away,  he  saw  that  the  shot  had  passed  obliquely 
into  the  boat,  striking  the  stern-board  just  behind 
Major  Pierson,  and  splitting  off  the  plank  near 
the  water-line. 

There  was  a  commotion  in  the  ranks  of  the 
enemy,  and  it  was  plain  enough  that  the  water 
was  flowing  into  the  craft.  The  soldiers  stopped 
rowing,  and  the  lieutenant  and  one  of  the  extra 
men  were  sent  into  the  bow.  This  change 
settled  the  bow  of  the  boat  down  into  the  water, 
and  lifted  the  stern.  The  major  appeared  to  be 
equal  to  the  emergency  ;  he  gave  his  orders  in  a 
loud  voice,  and  the  rowing  was  renewed  with 
the  delay  of  not  more  than  a  couple  of  minutes. 
But  that  was  enough  to  defeat  his  present 
purpose,  though  he  still  urged  his  men  to  exert 
themselves  to  the  utmost. 

The  long-boat  went  astern  of  the  tug,  and 
Christy  came  out  from  his  place  on  the  floor  to 
the  windows.      Captain  Pecklar  was  loading  the 


A   CANNON-BALL  305 

gun,  as  he  had  done  before,  by  swinging  it  around 
so  that  the  muzzle  was  under  the  pilot-house. 

"  I  think  you  will  have  no  further  use  for  that 
gun,"  said  Christy,  when  he  saw  what  the  captain 
was  doing. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  it  is  best  to  have  it  ready 
for  the  next  time  we  want  it.  The  major  kept 
it  loaded  all  the  time,  and  I  shall  follow  his 
example,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  Have  you  been  hit,  Percy  ?  "  asked  Christy, 
looking  out  at  the  side  under  which  the  late 
pilot  had  bestowed  himself  for  safe-keeping. 

"  I  have  not  been  hit ;  they  could  not  see  me 
where  I  am.  Have  you  been  hit,  Christy  ? " 
replied  Percy. 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  took  good  care  not  to  be  seen 
while  they  were  firing.  But  your  brother  has 
dropped  astern  of  the  Leopard  in  his  boat,  and 
there  is  no  danger  here  now  :  so  you  can  come 
in  and  take  the  helm,  if  you  like." 

Percy  was  glad  to  have  something  to  do,  for 
he  was  very  nervous;  and  he  came  into  the  pilot- 
house. He  was  not  half  as  airy  as  he  had  been 
before,  and  the  sound  of  the  muskets  and  the 
twelve -pounder     on     the     forward     deck     had 


306  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

undoubtedly  made  an  impression  upon  him. 
But  he  was  as  glad  to  take  the  wheel  as 
Christy  was  to  have  him,  for  he  desired,  to  study 
the  situation  after  all  the  changes  which  had 
been  made  in  the  position  of  the  several  vessels. 

"  You  have  had  an  awful  time  of  it,  Christy," 
said  Percy,  as  he  took  the  wheel.  "  I  wonder 
that  you  have  not  been  killed." 

"  Not  a  very  awful  time  of  it,  and  T  took  good 
care  not  to  be  killed,"  replied  Christy.  "  A 
fellow  isn't  good  for  much  after  he  has  been 
killed,  and  it  is  always  best  to  look  out  and  not 
get  killed ;  though  I  suppose  one  cannot  always 
help  it." 

"  Did  you  fire  the  field-piece  on  the  deck 
below?" 

"  No,  I  did  not ;  that  was  done  by  Captain 
Pecklar." 

"  My  brother  will  have  him  hanged  when  he 
gets  hold  of  him,"  added  Percy,  shaking  his 
head. 

"Very  likely  he  will  if  he  gets  hold  of  him, 
but  we  don't  intend  to  let  him  get  hold  of 
him." 

Christy  left  the  pilot-house,  and  went  out  on 


A  CANNON-BALL  307 

the  hurricane  deck,  where  he  could  better  see 
all  that  was  to  be  seen,  and  be  alone  with  his 
own  thoughts.  His  first  care  was  to  ascertain 
the  position  of  his  most  active  enemy,  the  long- 
boat. He  could  see  it  a  short  distance  astern  of 
the  tug.  It  had  changed  its  course,  and  was 
following  the  Leopard,  which  was  now  gaining 
rapidly  upon  it. 

Directly  ahead  of  the  tug  was  the  Bellevite, 
not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant ;  but 
while  she  was  going  off  to  the  north-west,  the 
Dauphine  had  kept  more  to  the  southward  and 
was  now  nearer  than  the  steamer  of  Captain 
Passford. 

The  remark  which  Captain  Pecklar  had  made 
when  he  came  partly  upon  the  hurricane  deck, 
that  the  Bellevite  had  changed  her  course 
because  Major  Pierson  had  been  fool  enough  to 
fire  at  the  tug,  came  up  in  Christy's  mind  again. 
He  had  thought  of  it  at  the  time  it  was  uttered, 
and  several  times  since ;  but  he  had  not  had  the 
time  to  weigh  its  meaning. 

The  owner's  son  knew  very  well  that  every 
incident  connected  with  the  tug,  and  with  the 
other  vessels  in  sight,  had  been  carefully  observed 


308  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 

and  weighed  by  his  father  and  Captain  Breaker. 
They  had  seen  the  boat  leave  the  Leopard.  It 
looked  like  a  stupid  movement  to  do  such  a 
thing,  when  the  approach  to  the  Bellevite  could 
be  made  so  much  more  rapidly  and  safely  in  the 
tug. 

There  must  be  a  motive  for  such  a  singular 
step.  Of  course  the  passage  of  the  boat  had 
been  closely  observed,  and  the  starting  up  of 
the  screw  of  the  Leopard  had  been  duly  noted. 
As  the  tug  came  near  the  long-boat,  the  latter  had 
fired  upon  it.  This  must  have  been  seen ;  and 
the  question  naturally  would  come  up  as  to  why 
those  in  the  boat  fired  upon  their  own  people  in 
the  Leopard. 

It  was  not  likely  that  they  could  answer  the 
question  in  a  satisfactory  manner  on  board  of 
the  Bellevite ;  but  the  -  firing  indicated  that  an 
enemy  was  in  possession  of  the  tug.  This  was 
enough,  in  the  opinion  of  Christy,  as  it  had  been 
in  that  of  Captain  Pecklar,  to  produce  the  change 
in  her  course. 

The  firing  from  both  craft  since  the  first 
demonstration  must  have  deepened  the  impres- 
sion.    Those  on  board  of  the   Leopard   must  be 


A   CANNON-BALL  309 

on  the  side  of  the  Union,  or  the  party  in  the 
boat  would  not  repeatedly  fire  upon  them. 
Christy  was  satisfied  that  his  father  would  know 
what  all  the  indications  meant  before  he  aban- 
doned the  investigation. 

But  the  Bellevite  did  not  seem  to  be  making 
her  best  speed  by  a  great  deal.  With  his  glass 
he  could  see  that  there  was  a  hand  in  the  fore- 
chains  heaving  the  lead;  and  probably  Captain 
Breaker  feared  that  the  bottom  "  might  be  too 
near  the  top  of  the  water  "  for  the  draught  of 
his  vessel,  and  he  was  proceeding  with  caution. 

Christy  descended  the  ladder  to  the  main-deck. 
He  found  Captain  Pecklar  in  the  fire-room, 
shovelling  coal  into  the  furnace.  He  seemed  to 
be  again  nearly  exhausted  by  the  efforts  he  had 
made  during  the  morning ;  and  Christy  took  the 
shovel  from  him,  and  did  the  work  himself. 

"  You  must  not  kill  yourself,  Captain  Pecklar. 
This  is  too  hard  work  for  you,"  said  Christy. 

"If  I  can  only  get  out  of  this  scrape,  it  will 
not  make  much  difference  what  becomes  of  me," 
replied  the  invalid  faintly. 

"  I  will  do  this  work  myself.  Don't  you  touch 
that  shovel  again." 


310  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  But  things  are  looking  very  badly  indeed  for 
us,  Christy,"  said  the  captain,  bracing  himself  up 
as  if  for  a  renewed  effort.  "  The  Belle  is  almost 
up  with  the  boat,  and  she  will  take  Major 
Pierson  and  his  party  on  board ;  and  she  is 
nearer  to  us  than  the  Bellevite." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  I  have  not  looked  astern  for 
some  time,"  replied  Christy,  rather  startled  by 
the  information. 

"The  Bellevite  is  not  sailing  as  fast  as  she 
has  some  of  the  time,  and  both  the  Belle  and 
the  Dauphine  are  nearer  to  us  than  she  is," 
added  Captain  Pecklar.  "  I  have  been  trying  to 
get  up  more  steam." 

"  If  my  father  only  knew  that  I  was  on  board 
this  tug,  I  should  feel  more  hope,"  said  Christy. 

"  Perhaps  he  suspects  you  are.  He  probably 
sent  ashore  to  obtain  information  in  regard  to 
you.     But  we  don't  know." 

Just  then  a  cannon-ball  made  the  splinters  fly 
all  around  them. 


THE  AMERICAN  FLAG  AT  THE  FORE       311 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

THE  AMERICAN   FLAG   AT   THE   FORE 

Christy  rushed  out  of  the  engine-room, 
followed  by  Captain  Pecklar,  to  ascertain  what 
damage  had  been  done  to  the  tug  by  the  shot. 
A  cloud  of  smoke  rising  from  the  Belle,  astern 
of  the  Leopard,  informed  them  that  the  shot  had 
come  from  her.  It  had  struck  the  house  on 
deck,  carrying  away  the  corner  of  the  captain's 
state-room ;  but,  beyond  this,  no  damage  appeared 
to  be  done. 

But  the  tug  had  broached  to,  and  it  was 
evident  that  Percy  had  abandoned  the  wheel 
when  the  shot  struck  the  vessel ;  and  Christy 
hastened  to  the  pilot-house  to  restore  the  vessel 
to  her  course.  But  he  was  closely  followed  by 
the  acting  engineer.  They  found  the  volunteer 
pilot  lying  on  the  deck,  where  he  had  been  before 
when  the  vessel  was  fired  upon. 


312  TAKEN"  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"Is  that  the  way  you  steer  the  boat,  Percy?" 
said  Christy  reproachfully,  as  he  went  into  the 
pilot-house,  and  righted  the  helm. 

"  Didn't  you  hear  that  cannon-shot  that  struck 
her  just  now?"  demanded  Percy,  partly  raising 
himself  from  his  recumbent  posture. 

"Of  course  I  heard  it:  I  am  not  deaf;  and,  if 
I  had  been,  I  could  have  felt  it.  I  don't  believe 
we  shall  want  you  on  board  of  the  Bellevite, 
if  that  is  the  way  you  do  your  duty." 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  shot  by  my  own  people," 
pleaded  Percy.  "Has  the  shot  ruined  the 
vessel ?  " 

"  Don't  you  see  that  she  is  going  along  the  same 
as  ever?  No  harm  has  been  done  to  her  so  far 
as  any  further  use  to  us  is  concerned,"  replied 
Christy.  "  But,  Captain  Pecklar,  as  things  are 
now,  we  are  running  right  into  the  fire." 

Christy  was  more  troubled  than  he  had  been 
at  any  time  before ;  and  he  realized  that  it  was 
necessary  to  make  some  change  in  the  course  of 
the  Leopard,  though  she  had  the  enemy  on  each 
side  of  her. 

"  It  don't  look  as  well  as  it  might,"  added  the 
captain  gloomily. 


THE  AMERICAN  FLAG  AT  THE   FORE        313 

"  The  Dauphine  is  getting  altogether  too  near 
us,  and  we  are  making  the  distance  between  us 
less  every  minute,"  added  Christy. 

"  There  comes  another  shot  from  the  Belle. 
She  means  business,  and  Major  Pierson  is  cer- 
tainly directing  things  on  board  of  her.  We 
can't  stand  that  any  longer.  But  she  wasted  her 
powder  that  time,  and  we  must  do  better  than 
that.     What  do  you  intend  to  do,  Christy." 

"I  mean  to  come  about,  and  take  a  course 
between  the  Belle  and  the  Dauphine :  that  is  the 
most  hopeful  thing  I  can  think  off,"  replied 
Christy,  after  another  careful  survey  of  the  posi- 
tions of  the  enemy. 

"  I  think  you  are  right." 

"We  will  come  about,  then;"  and  Christy 
threw  over  the  wheel. 

"  That  will  bring  our  gun  where  we  can  use  it ; 
and  we  shall  have  a  better  chance  at  the  Belle 
than  she  has  at  us,  for  she  is  larger,  and  has  a 
crowd  of  men  on  her  main  deck,"  added  Captain 
Pecklar,  as  he  went  to  the  ladder. 

"  If  you  are  not  afraid  of  those  shots,  I  am 
not,"  said  Percy,  coming  into  the  pilot-house 
again ;  and  he  was  evidently  ashamed  of  himself 


314  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

when  he  saw  a  fellow  younger  than  himself  taking 
no  notice  of  them. 

"  I  don't  pretend  to  like  them,  or  that  I  am  not 
afraid  of  them ;  but  I  shall  do  my  duty  in 
spite  of  them,"  replied  Christy.  "  I  should  be 
ashamed  to  meet  my  father,  if  I  ever  see  him 
again,  if  I  gave  up  the  fight,  and  allowed  myself 
to  be  kept  as  a  prisoner." 

"  I  want  to  get  away  from  here  as  much  as  you 
do ;  and  I  will  take  the  wheel  again,  if  you  will 
let  me,"  continued  Percy. 

"I  don't  ask  you  to  expose  yourself;  but,  if 
you  take  the  helm,  you  must  stick  to  it  till  you 
are  relieved.  We  have  no  time  to  fool  with 
you." 

« I  will  stick  to  it,  Christy." 

^  Very  well,  then  you  shall  take  it ;  but  if  you 
desert  your  post  again,  I  will  shoot  you  the  first 
time  I  set  eyes  on  you." 

"  That  is  rough." 

"  If  you  think  it  is,  don't  take  the  helm." 

"I  will  take  it,  for  I  had  rather  be  shot  by 
those  in  the  other  steamers  than  by  you." 

"  I  am  going  below  to  help  Captain  Pecklar ; 
but   the   moment   the    tug  goes   wrong,    I    shall 


"I  have  hit  Her"    (Page  315) 


THE  AMERICAN  FLAG  AT  THE  FORE        315 

send  a  ball  from  my  revolver  up  into  the 
pilot-house." 

"  I  understand  you,  and  it  looks  as  though  we 
were  getting  into  a  hot  place.  I  will  do  my  duty 
as  well  as  I  know  how.  Now  tell  me  how  I  am 
to  steer." 

"  Run  for  that  point  you  see  far  off  to  the 
northward." 

Christy  went  to  the  main  deck  forward,  where 
he  found  Captain  Pecklar  getting  the  field-piece 
ready  for  use.  The  Belle  was  now  quite  near 
on  the  one  hand,  while  the  Dauphine  was  hardly 
farther  off  on  the  other  hand.  The  Belle vite 
was  coming  down  from  the  north-east,  with  the 
lead  still  going  in  her  chains.  The  immediate 
clanger  was  to  come  from  the  Belle. 

"  That  won't  do  !  "  exclaimed  Captain  Pecklar, 
when  they  had  the  gun  in  position  for  use. 

"  What  won't  do  ?  "  asked  Christy. 

"  Didn't  you  notice  that  ?  They  are  firing 
rifle-balls  from  the  Belle.  One  of  them  just 
struck  the  bulkhead." 

"I  don't  see  that  we  can  help  ourselves, 
whether  it  will  do  or  not." 

"  The  chances  are  in  our  favor,  however,  for 


316  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

the  men  cannot  handle  their  rifles  to  the  best 
advantage  while  the  Belle  heaves  in  the  sea," 
added  the  captain.  "  Don't  stand  up  where 
they  can  see  you,  Christy,  but  get  down  on  the 
deck  with  that  lock-string  in  your  hand.  When 
I  give  you  the  word,  pull  it  as  quick  as  you 
can,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  sighted  the  gun, 
and  changed  its  position  several  times. 

He  was  a  sailor,  and  the  artillery  officers  at 
the  forts  had  trained  the  men  employed  on  the 
tugs  in  handling  the  pieces  put  on  board  of 
them,  to  be  used  in  bringing  vessels  to.  Better 
than  any  soldier,  he  could  make  the  proper 
allowance  for  the  motion  of  the  steamer  in  the 
sea,  which  was  becoming  heavier. 

"  Fire ! "  shouted  he,  with  more  voice  than  he 
was  supposed  to  have  in  the  feeble  condition 
of  his  lungs. 

The  gunner  had  loaded  the  piece  himself,  and 
it  made  a  tremendous  report  when  Christy  pulled 
the  lock-string.  The  Leopard  shook  under  the 
concussion  of  the  discharge,  and  she  was  com- 
pletely enveloped  in  smoke  ;  so  that  they  could 
not  see  whether  the  Belle  had  been  hit  or  not. 
But    in    the    distance    they   could    hear    hoarse 


THE  AMERICAN  FLAG  AT  THE  FORE        317 

shouts  in  the  direction  of  the  Belle,  and  they 
concluded  that  something  had  happened  in  that 
quarter. 

Christy  had  brought  down  the  glass  with  him  ; 
and  he  directed  it  towards  the  steamer  aimed  at 
as  soon  as  the  smoke  began  to  blow  out  of  the 
way,  though  it  was  some  time  before  he  could 
get  a  clear  view  of  her. 

"  By  the  great  Constitution  !  "  exclaimed 
Captain  Pecklar,  before  Christy  could  cover  the 
Belle  with  his  glass.     "  I  have  hit  her !  " 

"Where?"  asked  the  other,  elated  at  the 
intelligence. 

"  Right  on  the  bow  !  There  is  a  hole  big 
enough  to  roll  a  wheelbarrow  through,"  replied 
the  captain,  greatly  excited.  "  She  has  stopped 
her  wheels." 

"  That's  a  nice  hole  ! "  added  Christy,  as  he 
got  the  glass  to  bear  on  it,  and  his  hopes  began 
to  rise  again.  "  It  is  just  about  big  enough  for 
a  small  wheelbarrow.  But  they  have  gone  to 
work  on  it,  and  are  putting  mattresses  over  it." 

"  That  craft  is  finished  for  to-day,  and  we 
needn't  worry  any  more  about  her,"  said  the 
captain.      "She  will  not  get  that  hole   stopped 


318  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

up  for  an  hour  or  longer,  and  I  hope  this  affair 
will  be  over  before  this  can  be  done.  Shall  we 
give  them  another  shot?  What  do  you  think, 
Christy?  She  holds  still  now,  and  I  believe  I 
can  hit  her  every  time." 

"  Decidedly  not  :  she  is  disabled  for  the 
present,  and  that  is  all  I  care  for.  We  are  not 
in  war  trim,"  replied  Christy,  as  he  turned  his 
attention  in  the  direction  of  the  other  vessels. 

"  As  I  told  you,  the  Dauphine  is  fast ;  and 
she  will  be  down  upon  us  in  less  than  five 
minutes  more,"  said  Captain  Pecklar. 

"  I  wonder  that  she  don't  fire  upon  us,"  added 
Christy. 

"  I  doubt  if  she  has  any  guns  on  board,  though 
she  may  have  a  field-piece  or  two." 

"  The  Bellevite  is  waking  up,  I  think,"  said 
Christy. 

"  She  is  getting  into  deeper  water." 

"  But  the  Dauphine  is  coming  right  between 
the  Leopard  and  the  Bellevite,"  continued 
Christy,  as  he  brought  the  glass  to  bear  upon 
her,  though  she  was  near  enough  to  be  distinctly 
seen  with  the  naked  eye.  "  Whether  she  had 
any   guns   or   not,    she    has    plenty    of    men    on 


THE  AMERICAN  FLAG  AT  THE  FORE        319 

board ;  and  it  is  easy  enough  to  see  what  she 
intends  to  do." 

"  What  do  you  think  she  intends  to  do  ?  "  asked 
the  captain. 

"  Of  course  she  came  out  here  after  the  Belle- 
vite,  as  the  Belle  did  also ;  but  her  people  have 
seen  what  the  Leopard  has  been  about  for  the  last 
hour,  and  they  intend  to  dispose  of  us  before  they 
hunt  for  the  bigger  game." 

"She  may  capture  the  Bellevite  after  she  has 
finished  her  business  with  us,"  said  the  captain, 
looking  very  anxious. 

"  She  may,  but  I  don't  believe  she  will.  You 
have  proved  that  you  are  all  right,  Captain 
Prcklar,  and  I  don't  mind  telling  you  now  that 
the  Bellevite  is  heavily  armed.  Captain  Breaker 
was  a  lieutenant  in  the  navy,  and  he  knows  how 
to  handle  a  ship,"  replied  Christy. 

"Then,  if  we  escape  the  Dauphine,  we  shall  be 
all  right." 

"  The  Dauphine  will  come  down,  and  throw  a 
few  men  on  board  of  us ;  boarding  us,  in  fact,  as 
we  have  no  force  with  which  to  help  ourselves,"' 
added  Christy,  as  he  took  a  small  American  flag 
from  his  pocket. 


320  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

It  had  been  made  by  his  mother  on  the  late 
cruise  of  the  steamer,  and  it  was  a  sort  of  talisman 
with  him,  which  he  had  often  displayed  in  foreign 
lands.  He  found  a  pole  on  the  deck,  to  which  he 
attached  the  emblem  of  his  whole  country,  and 
displayed  it  at  the  bow  of  the  tug.  He  hoped 
that  his  father  or  the  captain  might  see  it,  and 
recognize  it  as  the  one  he  had  so  often  seen  on 
board  and  ashore. 

"  That's  a  handsome  flag,  Christy ;  and  it  does 
me  good  to  see  it  again,"  said  Captain  Pecklar,  as 
he  took  off  his  hat,  and  bowed  reverently  to  it. 

"  Percy,  hard-a-starboard  the  helm !  "  shouted 
Christy  to  the  helmsman.  "Head  her  for  the 
Belle." 

"  All  right." 

"  I  think  we  can  increase  the  distance  a  little 
between  us  and  the  Dauphine,"  added  Christy. 

"  That's  a  good  move  ;  for  we  have  been  putting 
ourselves  nearer  to  her  when  there  was  no  need 
of  it,  as  there  has  not  been  since  the  Belle  was 
disabled." 

He  had  hardly  spoken  the  words  before  a  tre- 
mendous cheer  came  from  the  Bellevite,  and  her 
fore-rigging  appeared  to  be  filled  with  men.     The 


THE  AMERICAN  jFLAG  TO   THE  FORE        321 

cheer  was  repeated  till  it  had  been  given  at  least 
"  three  times  three." 

"  What  does  that  mean,  Christy  ? "  asked 
Captain  Pecklar. 

"  It  means  that  my  father  or  some  one  on  board 
has  recognized  my  flag.  I  should  have  set  it 
before  if  we  had  been  near  enough  for  them  to 
make  it  out.  But  they  have  seen  it,  and  J  feel 
sure  that  all  the  steamers  in  the  bay  could  not 
capture  us  now.     Look  at  the  Bellevite  !  " 

She  seemed  suddenly  to  have  taken  the  bit  in 
her  teeth,  and  she  was  rushing  forward  at  a  speed 
which  she  had  not  before  exhibited.  Paul  Vapoor 
was  evidently  wide  awake. 

A  little  later  her  port-holes  flew  open. 


322  TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

ON   BOARD    OF    THE    BELLEVITE 

The  crisis  was  at  hand ;  for  the  Dauphine  was 
darting  in  between  the  Leopard  and  the  Bellevite, 
between  father  and  son.  On  the  port  rail  of  the 
former,  as  if  ready  to  leap  upon  the  deck  of  the 
tug,  were  at  least  twenty  men ;  and,  for  the  first 
time,  the  plan  of  the  enemy  became  apparent  to 
Christy  Passford. 

He  hastened  to  the  hurricane  deck  of  the 
Leopard,  where  he  could  see  more  clearly ;  and 
it  was  evident  to  him  that  the  question  before 
them  would  be  settled  within  a  very  few  minutes. 
If  he  and  his  companions  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  nothing  less  than  a  severe  fight  with  the 
Dauphine,  perhaps  aided  by  the  Belle,  on  the  part 
of  the  Bellevite  could  undo  the  mischief. 

Christy  was  disposed  to  leave  nothing  to  be 
undone.     Rushing  into  the  pilot-house,  he  seized 


ON  BOARD  OF  THE   BELLEV1TE  323 

the  wheel,  and  threw  it  over,  determined  to 
redeem  the  fate  of  the  tug  while  he  could. 
Captain  Pecklar  had  crowded  on  all  the  steam  he 
could,  and  doubtless  the  boat  was  doing  her  very 
best.  She  flew  round  like  a  top,  careening  till 
her  rail  was  under  water. 

"  Hard  up,  Percy  !  "  cried  he,  while  the  tug  was 
still  whirling.  "  Those  men  will  drop  on  board 
of  us  if  we  don't  get  out  of  the  Dauphine's  way." 

"  The  Bellevite  is  almost  into  her,"  added  the 
volunteer  pilot. 

Paul  Vapoor  evidently  understood  the  situation, 
and  must  have  been  preparing  for  it  for  some  time, 
though  the  shoal-water  had  prevented  the  steamer 
from  taking  advantage  of  his  effort.  She  had 
suddenly  begun  to  dart  ahead  as  though  she  had 
been  an  object  shot  from  one  of  her  biggest  guns  ; 
and  she  seemed  almost  to  leap  out  of  the  water  in 
her  struggle  to  come  between  the  Leopard  and 
the  Dauphine. 

The  Bellevite  was  certainly  making  two  miles 
to  her  rival's  one  in  the  race,  and  it  looked  as 
though  she  would  strike  her  sharp  bow  into  the 
broadside  of  the  enemy.  She  seemed  to  rely 
on  a  vigorous  blow  with  her  stem  rather  than  on 


824  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

her  guns ;  for  as  yet  she  had  not  fired  a  shot, 
though  she  was  fully  prepared  to  do  so. 

The  Leopard  came  about  in  double-quick  time  ; 
and  as  soon  as  her  keel  was  at  right  angles  with 
that  of  the  Dauphine,  Christy  righted  the  helm, 
and  let  her  go  in  the  direction  of  the  disabled 
Belle.  She  rolled,  pitched,  and  plunged  in  the 
sea,  which  had  been  increasing  very  sensibly 
within  a  short  time ;  but  she  went  ahead  at  her 
best  speed,  and  that  was  all  Christy  wanted  of 
her. 

The  Bellevite  was  still  rushing  down  upon  the 
Dauphine  as  though  she  intended  to  annihilate 
her  when  the  crash  came,  as  come  it  must  within 
a  minute  or  two.  Christy's  heart  was  in  his 
throat,  for  he  felt  that  his  own  safety  depended 
upon  the  events  of  the  next  two  minutes.  A 
tremendous  collision  was  impending,  and  thus 
far  the  Dauphine  had  done  nothing  to  avoid  it. 
Doubtless  her  commander  had  gauged  the  speed 
of  the  Bellevite  by  what  she  had  been  doing 
in  the  shoal  water,  and  had  not  believed  she 
could  overhaul  him  before  he  had  thrown  a  force 
on  board  of  the  Leopard. 

"  Now,  keep  her  as  she  is,  Percy,  and  we  shall 


ON   BOARD   OF   THE   BELLEV1TE  325 

soon  know  what  is  going  to  happen,"  said 
Christy,  when  the  tug  had  come  about  so  that 
he  could  not  readily  see  the  movements  of  the 
other  steamers. 

"  We  are  running  right  into  the  Belle," 
suggested  Percy. 

"  This  thing  will  be  settled  before  we  can 
come  within  hail  of  her,  and  I  don't  think  she 
wants  any  thing  more  of  us  at  present,"  replied 
Christy,  as  he  left  the  pilot-house,  and  hastened  aft, 
where  he  could  get  a  better  view  of  the  situation. 

"  There  is  a  row  on  board  of  the  Dauphine," 
said  Captain  Pecklar,  who  had  come  to  the  stern 
for  the  same  purpose  as  Christy.  "  Those  men 
are  leaping  down  from  the  rail." 

"  What  has  happened  on  board  of  her  ?  " 
asked  Christy. 

"  Nothing  ;  but  the  Bellevite  is  coming  into 
her  full  tilt,  and  they  know  that  the  shock  will 
knock  all  those  men  overboard ;  and  I  think 
they  don't  want  to  have  to  stop  to  pick  them 
up,"  answered  the  captain. 

At  this  moment  several  sharp  orders  were 
given  on  board  of  the  Dauphine,  and  her  head 
began  to  swing  around  to  the  northward. 


32(3  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY 

"  That's  what's  the  matter ! "  exclaimed  the 
captain.  "  They  think  they  won't  wait  for 
the  rap  the  Bellevite  is  ready  to  give  them." 

The  helm  of  the  enemy's  steamer  had  been 
put  hard-a-port ;  and  as  she  promptly  came  about, 
the  sharp  bow  of  the  Bellevite  shot  past  her 
quarter,  and  she  barely  escaped  the  blow.  It 
look  as  though  those  on  board  of  either  vessel 
could  have  leaped  to  the  deck  of  the  other. 

"  What  is  the  reason  she  don't  fire  upon  the 
Bellevite?"  asked  Christy,  when  he  felt  that 
the  crisis  was  past. 

"  I  don't  believe  she  has  any  guns  on  board 
yet,  though  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  What  is  she  going  to  do  now,  I  wonder." 

"  I  think  she  will  come  about  and  try  to  board 
the  Bellevite  now.  It  seems  to  me  that  if  she 
had  any  guns  on  board,  she  would  have  opened 
fire  before  this  time." 

"  We  must  look  out,  or  the  Bellevite  will  run 
into  us,"  added  Christy,  as  he  went  forward  to 
the  pilot-house. 

"  That  steamer  has  come  about,"  said  Percy, 
as  he  joined  him. 

"If  she   had   not   come    about,    the    Bellevite 


OX   BOARD   OF   THE   BELLEVITE  327 

would  have  cut  through  her  starboard  quarter," 
replied  Christy.  "But  we  are  all  right  now,  and 
I  think  the  excitement  is  about  over.'1 

By  this  time  the  Bellevite  was  abreast  of  the 
Leopard,  and  not  half  a  cable's  length  from  her ; 
but  there  was  no  demonstration  at  all  of  any 
sort  on  board  of  her.  Her  high  bulwarks  con- 
cealed the  whole  ship's  company;  and  no  one 
could  be  seen  but  the  lookouts  forward,  and  a 
couple  of  officers  in  the  rigging  of  the  mainmast. 

"  Now  we  will  get  a  little  nearer  to  her,"  said 
Christy,  as  he  threw  the  wheel  over.  "  She  is 
coming  about." 

The  Bellevite  was  blowing  off  steam,  and  she 
had  reduced  her  speed  as  soon  as  she  went  clear 
of  the  Dauphine.  In  a  minute  more,  when  she 
had  come  a  little  nearer  to  the  Leopard,  she 
stopped  her  screw. 

"  Tug,  ahoy ! "  shouted  some  one,  in  whose 
voice  Christy  recognized  that  of  Captain  Breaker. 

"On  board  the  Bellevite  !  "  responded  Christy. 

"  Come  alongside  !  "  added  the  commander  of 
the  steamer. 

"That's  just  what  I  was  going  to  do,"  added 
Christy  to  his  companion. 


823  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

"  I  suppose  we  are  all  right  now,  are  we  not, 
Christy  ?  "  asked  Percy. 

"  I  don't  know  what  will  come  up  next.  The 
Dauphine  is  still  afloat,  and  in  good  condition ; 
and  I  don't  believe  she  is  going  to  let  the 
Bellevite  off  without  doing  something." 

Captain  Pecklar  was  letting  off  steam  also ;  for 
he  realized  that  the  battle,  so  far  as  the  Leopard 
was  concerned,  was  finished.  Christy  steered  the 
tug  alongside  of  the  steamer;  and  when  he  rang 
the  bell  finally  to  stop  her,  after  a  rope  had  been 
heaved  on  board  of  her,  he  left  the  engine, 
with  the  steam  still  escaping  from  the  boiler,  and 
the  furnace-door  wide  open,  and  went  to  the 
pilot-house. 

"  Hurry  up  !  "  shouted  Captain  Breaker,  appear- 
ing on  the  rail  of  the  Bellevite,  at  the  gang- 
way. 

Captain  Pecklar  looked  astern  of  the  tug,  and 
saw  that  the  Dauphine  was  rapidly  approaching. 
She  had  come  about,  and  her  captain  did  not 
appear  to  be  satisfied  with  saving  his  own  vessel 
from  the  collision,  and  intended  to  make  another 
movement.  But  he  had  gone  some  distance 
before  he  came  about,  though  he  was  now  rather 


ON  BOARD  OF  THE  BELLEVITE  329 

too  near  for  the  comfort  of  the  Bellevite  after  she 
had  stopped  her  screw. 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  this  tug  ? "  asked 
Christy,  who  had  some  doubts  whether  or  not 
he  ought  to  leave  the  Leopard  in  condition  for 
further  use  by  the  enemy. 

"  We  have  no  time  to  bother  with  her,  and 
she  don't  amount  to  any  thing.  Come  on  board 
as  quick  as  you  can,"  replied  Captain  Breaker. 

"  Go  on  board,  Captain  Pecklar,"  said  Christy, 
pointing-  to  the  gangway.  "  Come,  Percy,  your 
troubles  are  over  for  the  present." 

The  captain  went  up  the  ladder,  followed  by 
Percy,  and  Christy  went  the  last ;  for  he  felt  that 
he  must  see  his  friends  through  before  he  aban- 
doned the  Leopard  himself.  The  moment  the 
owner's  son  showed  himself  on  the  rail,  a  burst 
of  cheers  came  from  the  ship's  company,  to  which 
he  replied  by  taking  off  his  cap  and  bowing. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  Christy,"  said  his 
father,  as  he  descended  to  the  deck  and  found 
himself  in  the  arms  of  Captain  Passford.  "I  was 
afraid  I  should  have  to  leave  you  here,  though  T 
did  not  intend  to  do  that  as  long  as  a  plank  of 
the  Bellevite  remained  under  me." 


330  TAKEN   BY   THE  ENEMY 

Christy  found  his  father  a  great  deal  more 
demonstrative  than  he  had  ever  known  him  to  be 
before,  and  he  fully  realized  that  he  had  had  a 
very  narrow,  and  even  a  wonderful  escape  since 
he  had  been  taken  by  the  enemy. 

Captain  Breaker  did  not  wait  for  father  and 
son  to  finish  their  affectionate  greetings  ;  but  as 
soon  as  Christy  put  his  foot  on  the  rail  he  directed 
the  line  to  the  tug  to  be  cast  off,  and  the  order 
was  given  to  start  the  screw.  The  Bellevite  went 
ahead  again,  and  the  commander  gave  out  the 
course  for  her. 

Before  Captain  Passford  was  ready  to  think 
of  any  thing  except  the  joyful  meeting  with  his 
son,  Captain  Pecklar  suddenly  dropped  to  the 
deck  as  though  a  bullet  from  the  enemy  had 
finished  his  career  in  the  very  moment  of  victory 
Christy  broke  from  his  father,  and  hastened  to 
his  assistance.  He  had  fainted  again  from 
exhaustion  after  the  efforts  of  the  day.  Dr. 
Linscott  was  at  his  side  almost  as  soon  as  Christy. 
and  the  sufferer  was  borne  to  the  cabin,  where 
he  was  placed  in  one  of   the  vacant  state-rooms. 

"  Who  is  that  man,  Christy  ? "  asked  Captain 
Passford,  as  soon  as  the  invalid  had  been  cared 
for. 


ON  BOARD  OF  THE  BELLEVITE  331 

"  That  is  Captain  Pecklar ;  and  he  is  a  Union 
man,  though  he  has  been  in  charge  of  that  tug  in 
the  service  of  the  forts.  But  he  is  in  consump- 
tion, and  he  does  not  believe  he  can  live  much 
longer.  He  says  lie  would  rather  die  at  home 
than  live  down  here,'1  replied  Christy. 

4-  He  looks  like  a  sick  man,"  added  the  owner. 

"  He  is,  and  he  has  worked  altogether  beyond 
his  strength.  But  I  believe  I  should  not  have 
been  here,  father,  at  this  moment,  if  he  had  not 
worked  with  me,  and  acted  with  the  utmost 
courage  and  devotion. "' 

"  Then  he  shall  want  for  nothing  while  he  is  on 
board  of  the  Bellevite." 

"  But  I  am  sure  that  the  doctor  can  improve  his 
condition ;  at  least,  I  hope  he  can." 

"  He  can  if  any  one  can.  But  how  happens 
Percy  to  be  with  you  in  the  tug?"  asked  Captain 
Passford,  as  he  looked  about  him  for  the  young 
man,  who  was  standing  near  the  mainmast, 
watching  the  approaching  smoke-stack  of  the 
Dauphine. 

"  Percy  has  not  been  as  reliable  as  Captain 
Pecklar ;  but  he  has  done  well,  and  has  rendered 
good  service.     He  has  steered  the  tug  for  some 


332  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

time,"  replied  Christy,  calling  to  him  the  subject 
of  the  last  remarks. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  Mr.  Percy,"  said 
the  owner,  giving  him  his  hand.  "  I  am  under 
obligations  to  you  for  all  you  have  done  to  assist 
my  son  on  board  of  that  tug." 

"  I  was  at  work  too  for  myself,"  said  Percy, 
taking  the  offered  hand.  "  I  don't  belong  on  this 
side  of  the  question,  and  all  I  want  is  to  get  back 
to  Nassau.  I  have  nothing  to  expect  from  my 
brother,  Major  Pierson,  and  my  mother  cannot 
protect  me." 

"  In  consideration  of  the  service  you  have  ren- 
dered to  my  son,  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  all  I  can  to 
assist  you  in  getting  there." 

"  Thank  you,  sir." 

"But  where  is  Florry,  father?"  asked  Christy, 
looking  about  the  deck. 

"  I  could  not  allow  her  to  be  on  deck  when  a 
shot  was  liable  to  come  on  board.  She  is  in  the 
cabin,  and  she  will  be  as  glad  to  see  you  as  I 
have  been,"  replied  Captain  Passford. 

Christy  hastened  to  the  cabin. 


RUNNING  THE  GANTLET  333 


CHAPTER  XXX 

RUNNING    THE    GANTLET 

Captain  Passford  and  Percy  soon  followed 
Christy  into  the  cabin,  and  the  meeting  of  the 
brother  and  sister  was  quite  as  affectionate  as  that 
between  father  and  son  had  been.  In  fact,  none 
of  them  cared  now  for  the  steamers  of  the  enemy, 
or  for  any  thing  else,  except  to  get  out  of  Mobile 
Bay..  Christy  told  his  story ;  and  he  learned  that 
his  father  had  sent  a  party  ashore  the  night  before 
to  look  for  him,  though  they  had  been  unable  to 
obtain  the  slightest  information  in  regard  to  him. 

Captain  Breaker  insisted  that  Christy  was  on 
board  of  the  Leopard,  though  not  till  the  soldiers 
in  the  long-boat  had  fired  into  the  tug.  The  father 
believed  that  his  son  would  not  tamely  submit  to 
being  made  a  prisoner,  and  the  act  of  Major 
Pierson  had  almost  convinced  him  that  the  com- 
mander was  right.    He  had  not  been  fully  satisfied 


334  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

on  this  point  till  he  recognized  the  silk  American 
Hag  at  the  fore  of  the  tug. 

But  Captain  Passford  was  too  much  interested 
in  the  situation  on  deck  to  remain  long  in  the 
cabin  ,  and  he  left  Christy  there  with  Florry,  who 
seemed  to  be  supremely  happy,  now  that  the 
family  was  in  a  fair  way  to  be  re-united  at  no 
distant  day. 

"  I  think  you  know  the  gentleman  who  has 
made,  all  this  trouble  for  me,  Florry,"  said  Christy, 
when  he  and  Percy  were  alone  with  her. 

"How  can  I  know  him?"  asked  the  fair  girl, 
puzzled. 

"  He  is  my  brother,  Major  Pierson  ;  and  they 
say  he  used  to  call  at  Colonel  Passford's  once  in 
a  while,  while  I  was  away  at  school,"  interposed 
Percy. 

"  Then  I  do  know  him,"  replied  Florry, 
blushing. 

"  Father  thought,  or  at  least  he  feared,  that  you 
might  not  like  to  leave  the  South,"  added  Christy. 

"Did  he  say  so?"  asked  the  fair  maiden, 
laughing. 

"  He  did  not  say  a  word,  but  I  could  tell  by 
his  looks." 


RUNNING  THE   GANTLET  335 

"  Then  papa  was  very  much  mistaken.  Major 
Pierson  was  very  kind  and  polite  to  me,  and  I 
think  he  is  a  gentleman  ;  but  I  have  had  no  desire 
to  remain  at  Glenfield  on  his  account." 

Florry  spoke  as  though  she  intended  this  remark 
to  be  the  end  of  the  conversation  on  that  subject, 
and  Christy  felt  quite  sure  that  she  was  not  deeply 
interested  in  the  commander  of  Fort  Gaines. 

"  Now,  I  wonder  if  I  can't  go  on  deck,"  contin- 
ued Florry,  breaking  away  from  the  disagreeable 
conversation.     "  They  are  not  firing  now." 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  will  go  on  deck  and  ask 
father  if  you  wish." 

"  Do,  Christy,  if  you  please." 

The  Bellevite  was  shaking  in  all  her  frame ;  for 
Paul  Vapoor  was  again  exercising  his  skill  upon 
the  screw,  and  she  was  flying  through  the  water. 
The  Dauphine  seemed  to  be  struggling  to  get  up 
an  equal  degree  of  speed ;  but,  fast  as  she  was 
said  to  be,  the  Bellevite  was  running  away  from 
her.  There  was  no  excitement  on  deck,  and 
Christy  readily  obtained  the  required  permission 
for  his  sister. 

Captain  Pecklar,  under  the  skilful  treatment  of 
Dr.  Linscott,  had  improved  a  great  deal,  though 


336  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

he  still  remained  in  his  bed.  He  declared  that  he 
felt  like  a  new  man  ;  and,  whether  he  lived  or  died, 
he  was  as  happy  as  any  man  ought  to  be  on  the 
face  of  the  earth. 

"  That  steamer  off  to  the  north-west  has  set  her 
ensign  with  the  union  down,  though  I  can't  make 
out  what  the  flag  is,"  said  Captain  Breaker, 
addressing  the  owner,  as  Christy  came  on  deck. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "  asked  Captain  Pass- 
ford,  getting  upon  the  rail  with  the  commander. 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know.  I  suppose  it  is  a 
signal  of  distress,  but  it  may  be  a  trick  of  some 
sort,"  added  Captain  Breaker. 

"  Do  you  know  any  thing  about  that  steamer 
over  there,  Christy  ?  "  asked  the  owner,  calling  his 
son. 

"  That  is  the  Belle,  and  I  believe  she  came  from 
Mobile,"  replied  Christy. 

"What  is  she  out  here  for?" 

"  I  have  no  doubt  she  came  out  here  to  capture 
the  Bellevite.  Uncle  Homer  must  have  sent  word 
to  some  one  in  Mobile,  judging  from  what  I  heard 
Major  Pierson  say ;  and  probably  that  steamer 
came  out  here  to  prevent  the  Bellevite  from  going 
into  the  navy  of  the  Union." 


RUNNING  THE  GANTLET  337 

"  But  why  does  she  hoist  a  signal  of  distress  ?  " 

'•  I  think  it  is  very  likely  she  is  in  distress." 

"She  is  firing  a  gun,''  added  Captain  Breaker, 
as  a  cloud  of  smoke  rose  from  the  Belle. 

"  Why  do  you  think  she  is  in  distress,  Christy  ?  " 
asked  his  father. 

"  She  opened  fire  on  the  Leopard,  after  she  had 
picked  up  the  boat  containing  Major  Pierson's 
party .  and  Captain  Pecklar  and  I  gave  her  a  shot 
in  return,  which  went  through  her  bow  and  made 
a  big  hole.  She  stopped  her  wheels  then,  and 
since  that  she  has  been  out  of  the  fight. 

"  The  Dauphine  is  coming  about,"  added 
Christy,  as  he  joined  the  commander  and  his 
father  on  the  rail. 

"  The  Dauphine  ?  "  queried  Captain  Passford. 

"  That  is  her  name.  Captain  Pecklar  can  tell 
you  something  about  her.  He  says  she  is  fitting 
up  for  the  Confederate  navy,  but  he  thinks  she 
has  no  guns  on  board  yet." 

"•It  is  beginning  to  blow  very  fresh,"  said 
Captain  Breaker,  as  he  took  a  look  at  the  sky  and 
the  waters  of  the  bay.  "  My  barometer  indicates 
nasty  weather." 

"There   is  too   much   sea,  at   any  rate,  for   a 


338  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

steamer  with  a  big  hole  in  her  bow,"  said  Captain 
Passford. 

Christy  told  all  he  knew  about  the  Belle,  and 
the  owner  declared  that  he  had  no  desire  to  see 
the  large  number  of  men  on  board  of  her  drowned 
before  his  eyes.  The  gun  the  disabled  steamer 
had  fired  was  regarded  as  another  signal  of 
distress,  which  indicated  that  the  situation  was 
becoming  urgent  with  her. 

"  She  has  hoisted  a  white  flag,"  added  Captain 
Breaker ;  and  no  glass  was  needed  to  disclose  the 
fact  that  a  panic  existed  on  board  of  her,  for  men 
who  could  fight  bravely  for  a  cause  they  deemed 
right  might  not  be  willing  to  be  drowned  without 
being  able  to  lift  a  finger  to  save  themselves. 

"  Come  about,  Breaker,  and  run  for  the  disabled 
steamer,"  said  Captain  Passford,  in  a  decided  tone  ; 
and  the  order  was  instantly  obeyed. 

The  commander  sent  Christy  to  the  chief  engi- 
neer to  have  him  increase  the  speed  of  the  steamer, 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  owner.  Paul  had  not 
seen  him  before,  and  the  two  friends  hugged  each 
other  like  a  couple  of  girls  when  they  came 
together.  But  the  chief  did  not  lose  a  moment  in 
obeying   the   order   brought    to   him.     In   a  few 


KUNNING  THE  GANTLET        339 

minutes  the  Bellevite  passed  the  Dauphine,  and 
reached  the  vicinity  of  the  Belle,  which  was  evi- 
dently sinking,  for  she  had  settled  a  good  deal  in 
the  water. 

Four  boats  were  instantly  lowered  into  the 
water ;  and  Christy  was  assigned  to  the  command 
of  one  of  them,  while  the  first  and  second  officers 
and  the  boatswain  went  in  charge  of  the  others. 
These  boats  were  skilfully  handled,  and  they 
dashed  boldly  up  to  the  sinking  craft.  The 
soldiers  on  board  of  her  were  more  afraid  of  water 
than  they  were  of  fire,  and  the  four  boats  were 
soon  loaded. 

uIs  that  you,  Christy?"  said  one  of  his 
passengers. 

Christy  looked,  and  saw  that  the  person  who 
addressed  him  was  his  uncle  Homer. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  nephew ;  but  he  did  not 
venture  to  say  any  thing  more. 

"  I  was  not  aware  that  you  were  taking  an 
active  part  in  this  affair  till  Major  Pierson  told 
me  that  you  had  taken  possession  of  his  steam-tug, 
and  that  it  was  you  who  had  fired  the  shot  which 
disabled  the  Belle,"  continued  Colonel  Passford, 
evidently  very  much  troubled  and  annoyed. 


340  TAKEN  BY   THE  ENEMY. 

"I  was  made  a  prisoner  by  the  major,  and  I 
have  done  what  I  could  to  get  out  of  his  hands," 
replied  Christy.  "  I  suppose  you  came  out  in  this 
steamer  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  Bellevite  ; 
but  you  have  not  done  it  yet,  and  I  don't  believe 
you  will." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  your  father,"  added  the 
colonel. 

"  We  are  ordered  to  put  these  people  on  board 
of  the  Dauphine,  and  she  has  just  stopped 
her  screw.  I  cannot  disobey  my  orders,  uncle 
Homer." 

But  Christy  did  not  like  to  prolong  the  conver- 
sation, and  he  told  his  men  to  give  way.  The  sea 
had  certainly  increased  till  it  made  it  live]y  for 
the  boats,  and  the  colonel  said  no  more.  The 
passengers  were  put  on  board  of  the  Dauphine, 
and  it  was  not  necessary  for  more  than  two  of  the 
boats  to  return  to  the  Belle  for  the  rest  of  the  men 
on  board  of  her.  Colonel  Passford  insisted  upon 
boarding  the  Bellevite,  after  the  others  had  left 
the  boat,  and  Christy  yielded  the  point. 

The  Confederate  brother  was  received  by  the 
Union  brother  as  though  nothing  had  occurred  to 
divide  them.     He  was  conducted  to  the  cabin,  as 


RUNNING   THE   GANTLET  341 

it  had  just  begun  to  rain,  where  he  was  greeted 
as  kindly  by  Florry. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  left  me  in  such  an  abrupt 
manner,  Horatio,"  said  Homer,  very  much  embar- 
rassed. "  I  think  you  took  a  rather  unfair 
advantage  of  the  circumstances." 

"Unfair?  What?  When  you  said  outright 
that  you  intended  to  take  steps  for  the  capture  of 
my  steamer,  the  only  means  of  reaching  my  family, 
and  conveying  my  daughter  to  her  home,  that 
were  within  my  reach.  I  came  here  on  a  peaceful 
mission,  and  I  think  the  unfairness  was  all  on  the 
other  side,"  replied  Horatio. 

"  I  still  believe  that  I  had  no  moral  right,  before 
God  and  my  countrymen,  to  allow  you  to  hand 
this  fine  steamer  over  to  the  Yankee  navy  :  but  I 
was  on  board  of  the  Belle  for  the  purpose  of  seeing 
that  no  harm  came  to  you,  or  any  member  of  your 
family,"  said  Homer  with  deep  feeling. 

"  Then  I  thank  you  for  your  good  intentions. 
But  I  believed,  before  God  and  my  countrymen 
North  and  South,  that  I  had  no  moral  right  to  let 
this  vessel  be  taken  for  the  use  of  the  Confed- 
eracy .  and  I  would  have  burned  her  on  the  waters 
of  Mobile  Bay  before  I  would  have  given  her  up," 


342  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

added  Horatio,  quite  as  earnestly  as  the  other  had 
spoken. 

"  Fortune  has  favored  you  this  time,  Horatio ; 
but  when  you  are  suffering  and  in  want  from  the 
effects  of  this  war,  remember  that  I  shall  always 
have  a  brother's  heart  in  my  bosom,  and  that  it 
will  always  be  open  to  you  and  yours." 

"  I  heartily  reciprocate  this  fraternal  sentiment, 
and  I  am  confident  that  you  will  need  my  assist- 
ance before  I  need  yours ;  but  all  that  I  have  and 
all  that  I  am  shall  be  at  your  service,  Homer." 

"  I  am  glad  that  we  understand  each  other,  and 
I  rejoice  that  I  came  on  board  of  your  steamer  for 
these  parting  words.  I  will  not  ask  you  what  you 
are  going  to  do  next,  for  you  would  not  tell  me ; 
but  I  shall  expect  to  hear  that  the  Bellevite  has 
been  sunk  in  attempting  to  pass  the  forts." 

"  Better  that  than  in  the  service  of  the  enemies 
of  my  country,  Homer.'" 

They  parted  with  tears  in  the  eyes  of  both, 
and  never  before  had  they  realized  how  stern  and 
severe  was  the  mandate  of  duty.  Christy  con- 
veyed his  uncle  back  to  the  Dauphine,  shook 
hands  with  him,  and  returned  to  the  Bellevite. 

The  mission  of  the  steamer  in  Mobile  Bay  ended, 


RUNNING  THE  GANTLET        343 

and  she  had  nothing  more  to  do  but  return  to  her 
native  waters,  though  perhaps  this  would  prove  to 
be  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  entire  enterprise. 
The  steamer  stood  down  the  bay  in  the  drenching 
rain,  and  was  soon  buried  in  a  dense  fog  that  was 
blown  in  by  the  wind  from  the  gulf.  She  lay  off 
and  on  during  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  the  com- 
mander made  his  preparations  for  running  the 
gantlet  of  the  forts. 

This  was  not  so  difficult  and  dangerous  an 
enterprise  as  it  became  later  when  the  channel 
was  obstructed,  though  even  now  the  feat  could 
not  be  accomplished  without  great  difficulty  and 
danger.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  Captain  Peck- 
lar  left  his  berth  and  came  on  deck.  Captain 
Breaker  decided  to  leave  the  piloting  of  the 
steamer  to  him,  after  he  had  conversed  for  hours 
with  him. 

No  better  night  in  the  whole  year  could  have 
been  selected  for  the  undertaking.  It  had  ceased 
to  rain,  but  the  darkness  and  the  fog  were  as 
dense  as  possible.  The  pilot  manifested  entire 
confidence,  as  he  had  plenty  of  water  in  the  chan- 
nel, and  he  knew  all  about  the  currents,  the  tide, 
and  the  action  of  the  wind.     It  was  an  exciting 


344  TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY 

time,  when  every  light  on  board  was  extinguished, 
and  the  steamer  started  down  the  bay  with 
Captain  Pecklar  and  two  quartermasters  at  the 
wheel. 

After  the  Bellevite  had  passed  the  dangerous 
part  of  the  channel,  firing  was  heard  from  Fort 
Morgan  ;  but  the  vessel  was  soon  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Heavy  guns  were  heard  for  some  time, 
but  all  on  board  of  the  steamer  could  afford  to 
laugh  at  them.  The  ship  continued  on  her  course, 
and  among  the  islands  near  Nassau  Percy  Pierson 
was  put  on  board  of  a  schooner  bound  to  New 
Providence. 

In  eight  days  from  the  time  she  passed  the  forts, 
the  Bellevite  steamed  into  New  York  Bay,  and 
then  to  Bonnydale  on  the  Hudson,  where  the 
family  were  again  re-united,  and  the  fond  mother 
wept  over  her  two  children,  restored  to  her  after 
all  the  dangers  of  the  past. 

On  his  arrival,  Captain  Passford  found  letters 
for  him  from  the  Government,  and  the  offer  of  the 
Bellevite  had  been  promptly  accepted.  After 
having  been  Taken  by  the  Enemy,  on  the  next 
voyage  Christy  found  himself  Within  the  Enemy's 
Lines. 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


THE  BOAT-BUILDER  SERIES 

Completed  in  Six  Volumes.    Illustrated. 
Per  Vol.,  $1.25. 


1.  ALL  ADRIFT; 

Or,  The  Goldwing  tDmfe. 

2.  SNUG  HARBOR; 

Or,  The  Champlain  Mechanics. 

8.  SQUARE  AND  COMPASS; 

Or,  Building  the  House* 

4.  STEM  TO  STERN; 

Or,  Building  the  Boat* 

6.  ALL  TAUT; 

Or,  Rigging  the  Boat* 

«.  READY  ABOUT; 

Or,  Sailing  the  Boat* 


The  series  includes  in  six  successive  volumes  the  whole  art 
of  boat-building,  boat-rigging,  boat-managing,  and  practical 
hints  to  make  the  ownership  of  a  boat  pay.  A  great  deal  of 
useful  information  will  be  given  in  this  Boat-Building  series, 
and  in  each  book  a  very  interesting  story  is  sure  to  be  inter- 
woven with  the  information.  Every  reader  will  be  interested 
at  once  in  "  Dory,"  the  hero  ot  "All  Adrift,"  and  one  of  th« 
characters  to  be  retained  in  the  future  volumes  of  the  series , 
at  least  there  are  already  several  of  his  recently  made  friendi 
who  do  not  want  to  lose  sight  of  him,  and  this  will  be  the 
cage  of  pretty  much  every  boy  who  makes  his  acquaintance 
in  "All  Adrift." 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


YOUNG  AMERICA   ABROAD. 

FIRST    SERIES. 

A  Iiibrary  of  Travel  and  Adventure  in  Foreign  Lands.     16m*. 

Illustrated  by  Wast,  Stevens,  Perkins,  and  others. 

Per  volume,  $1.50. 


1.  OUTWARD   BOUND; 

Or,  Young  America  Afloat. 

2.  SHAMROCK  AND  THISTLE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Ireland  and  Scotland, 

3.  RED  CROSS; 

Or.  Young  America  in  England  and  Wales. 

4.  DIKES  AND  DITCHES; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Holland  and  Belgium. 

5.  PALACE  AND  COTTAGE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  France  and  Switzerland. 

0.   DOWN  THE  RHINE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Germany. 


The  story  from  its  inception  and  through  the  twelve  vol 
umes  {<$ee  Second  Series),  is  a  bewitching  one,  while  the  in- 
formation imparted,  concerning  the  countries  of  Europe  and 
the  isles  of  the  sea,  is  not  only  correct  in  every  particular,  but 
is  told  in  a  captivating  style.  "  Oliver  Optic"  will  continue 
to  be  the  boy's  friend,  and  his  pleasant  books  will  continue  to 
he  read  by  thousands  of  American  bo}Ts.  What  a  fine  holiday 
present  either  or  both  series  of  "  Young  America  Abroad" 
would  be  for  a  young  friend  !  It  would  make  a  little  library 
highly  prized  by  the  recipient,  and  would  not  be  an  expensive 
one.  —  Providence  Press. 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD. 

SECOND    SERIES. 

A.  Library  of  Travel  and  Adventure  in  Foreign  Lands.     16mo. 

Illustrated  by  Wast,  Stevens,  Perkins,  and  others. 

Per  volume,  $1.50. 


1.  UP  THE  BALTIC; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Norway,  Sweden,  and 

Denmark. 

2.  NORTHERN   LANDS; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Russia  and  Prussia. 

3.  CROSS  AND  CRESCENT; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Turkey  and  Greeoe. 

4.  SUNNY  SHORES; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Italy  and  Austria. 

5.  VINE  AND  OLIVE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Spain  and  Portugal. 

6.  ISLES  OF  THE  SEA; 

Or,  Yoo'iig  America  Homeward  Bound. 


"  Oliver  Optic"  is  a  nom  de plume  that  is  known  and  loved 
by  ?lmost  every  boy  of  intelligence  in  the  land.  "We  have 
seen  a  highly  intellectual  and  world-weary  man,  a  cynic  whose 
heart  was  somewhat  imbittered  by  its  large  experience  of 
human  nature,  take  up  one  of  Oliver  Optic's  books  and  read 
it  at  a  sitting,  neglecting  his  work  in  jielding  to  the  fascina- 
tion of  the  pages.  "When  a  mature  and  exceedingly  well- 
informed  mind,  long  despoiled  of  all  its  freshness,  can  thus 
find  pleasure  in  a  book  for  boys,  no  additional  words  of  rec- 
ommendation are  needed.  —  Svmday  Times. 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


ARMY  AND  NAVY  STORIES 

Six  Volumes.     Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.50. 


1.  THE  SOLDIER  BOY ; 

Or,  Tom  Somers  in  the  Army. 

2.  THE  SAILOR  BOY; 

Or,  Jack  Somers  in  the  Navy. 

3.  THE  YOUNG  LIEUTENANT; 

Or,  Adventures  of  an  Army  Officer. 

4.  THE  YANKEE  MIDDY; 

Or,  Adventures  of  a  Navy  Officer. 

5.  FIGHTING  JOE; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Staff  Offiwsr. 

6.  BRAVE  OLD  SALT ; 

Or,  Life  on  the  Quarter-Deck. 


This  series  of  six  volumes  recounts  the  adventures  of  two 
brothers,  Tom  and  Jack  Somers,  one  in  the  arnry,  the  other  in 
the  nav}T,  in  the  great  civil  war.  The  romantic  narratives  of 
the  fortunes  and  exploits  of  the  brothers  are  thrilling  in  the 
extreme.  Historical  accuracy  in  the  recital  of  the  grea+ 
events  of  that  period  is  strictly  followed,  and  the  result  is 
not  only  a  library  of  entertaining  volumes,  but  also  the  best 
history  of  the  civil  war  for  young  people  ever  written. 


OLIVER   OPTIC* S  BOOKS. 


THE  ONWARD  AND  UPWARD 

SERIES. 

Complete  in  six  volumes.    Illustrated.    In  neat  fooa^ 
Per  volume,  $1.95. 


1.  FIELD  AND  FOREST; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Farmer. 

2.  PLANE  AND  PLANK; 

Or,  The  Mishaps  of  a  Mechanic. 

8.  DESK  AND  DEBIT; 

Or,  The  Catastrophes  of  a  Clerk. 

4.  CRINGLE  AND  CROSS-TREE; 

Or,  The  Sea  Swashes  of  a  Sailor. 

5.  BIVOUAC  AND  BATTLE; 

Or,  The  Struggles  of  a  Soldier. 

6.  SEA  AND  SHORE; 

Or,  The  Tramps  of  a  Traveller. 


Paul  Farringford,  the  hero  of  these  tales,  is,  like  most  of 
Ids  author's  heroes,  a  young  man  of  high  spirit,  and  of  high 
aims  and  correct  principles,  appearing  in  the  different  vol- 
umes as  a  farmer,  a  captain,  a  bookkeeper,  a  soldier,  a  sailor, 
and  a  traveller.  In  all  of  them  the  hero  meets  with  very 
exciting  adventures,  told  in  the  graphic  style  for  which  the 
author  is  famous.  —  Native. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


FAMOUS  "BOAT-CLUB"  SERIES 

Library  for  Voting  People.    Six  volumes,  handsomely  illustrated 
Per  volume,  $1.35. 


l    THE  BOAT  CLUB; 

Or,  The  Bunkers  of  Ripple  ton. 

2.  ALL  ABOARD; 

Or,  Life  on  the  Lake* 

3.  NOW  OR  NEVER; 

Or,  The  Adventures  of  Bobby  Bright. 

4.  TRY  AGAIN ; 

Or,  The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  Harry  West 

5.  POOR  AND  PROUD; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  Katy  Redburn. 

6.  LITTLE  BY  LITTLE; 

Or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Flyaway. 


This  is  the  first  series  of  books  written  for  the  young  by 
*  Oliver  Optic."  It  laid  the  foundation  for  his  fame  as  the 
first  of  authors  in  which  the  }*oung  delight,  and  gained  for 
him  the  title  of  the  Prince  of  Story-Tellers.  The  six  books 
are  varied  in  incident  and  plot,  but  all  are  entertaining  and 
original. 


